Bears’ defensive end Gaines Adams, 26, died this morning of an enlarged heart, a Greenwood County deputy coroner said. He’d been taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, S.C., and died at 7:20 a.m. Chicago time.
An autopsy showed he died of cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart, and the death was ruled natural, Deputy Coroner Marcia Kelley-Hays said.
The Chicago Bears issued the following statement on the death of Gaines Adams: "We are stunned and saddened by the news of Gaines’ passing. Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time."
Adams, a native of Greenwood, S.C., was an All-American at Clemson before the Buccaneers made him the fourth overall pick in the 2007 draft. He led all rookies with six sacks during his rookie season. The Bears’ traded a second-round draft pick in the 2010 draft to the Buccaneers for Adams in October.
Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died Sunday morning of cardiac arrest resulting from an enlarged heart, according to Greenwood County, S.C., chief deputy coroner Marcia Kelley-Clark.
The 26-year-old Adams was taken to the emergency room at at Self Regional Healthcare at 7:14 a.m. Eastern time and pronounced dead at 8:21 a.m., Kelley-Clark said. Adams, who is from Greenwood, was visiting his girlfriend.
A Greenwood County Sheriff’s investigator said the house was owned by Adams and the player and his girlfriend were at the residence at the time, and she reportedly made the call to 911 at around 7 a.m.
The Associated Press reported that toxicology tests are being run by the State Law Enforcement Division, though drug use was not suspected as a factor in Adams’ death. Those results probably will not be available for at least two months, Kelley-Clark said.
"Nobody was aware of any kind of medical condition," Kelley-Clark told the AP.
