Gaines Adams Dies At 26

NFL News - January 17th, 2010 - Written by John

Former first-round pick Gaines Adams has reportedly died Sunday morning.

He was 26.

The current Chicago Bears defensive end was taken to a hospital in his hometown of Greenwood, S.C., not far from where he starred at Clemson University, and was pronounced dead soon after.

Multiple media outlets have broken the news and are gathering details. The cause of death is not clear, and probably won't be until an autopsy is performed Sunday. It is a shocking surprise considering Adams was in perfect shape and health. NFL players go through rigorous physicals to satisfy their employers, and Adams was just coming off his fourth NFL season uneventfully.

Adams was traded to the Bears last year by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who drafted him with the fourth overall pick in 2007. He was supposed to bring stability to the shaky defensive line, but was criticized by coaches for underperforming.

He had 13 1/2 sacks in his career, and had 17 tackles in 10 games with Chicago this year.