Family confirms former NFL player and Super Bowl champion died in Orange Mound house fire

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) – Family and friends are mourning the loss of former NFL player and Super Bowl champion Barry Wilburn. Family confirms he was the victim of a house fire in Orange Mound early Friday morning.
Wilburn graduated from Melrose High School before playing football for the Ole Miss Rebels. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1985, where he played defensive back for 5 seasons. Wilburn led the league in interceptions in the 1987 season, where he and the team would go on to win Super Bowl XXII against the Denver Broncos.
Early morning house fire investigation in Orange Mound(WMC)
The Memphis Fire Department responded to a reported residential structure fire on Douglass Avenue in Orange Mound at around 2am Friday morning. They found an unresponsive victim in the rear hallway. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
A representative for the family has confirmed that Wilburn is the victim of the fire. MFD have yet to confirm the victim’s identity.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Click here to sign up for our newsletter!
Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.
Copyright 2026 WMC. All rights reserved.




