Gaines Adams, the defensive end the Bear acquired for a second-round draft pick from Tampa Bay this season, died this morning at 26.
Adams, according to reports in The Greenville News, was pronounced dead at the emergency room of Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, S.C. according to County Coroner James T. Coursey.
Adams, 26, was a standout player at Clemson at defensive end, and was the fourth player chosen in the 2007 National Football League draft by the Buccaneers. He was traded from Tampa Bay to the Chicago Bears in October, though didn’t find much playing time with the struggling defensive unit.
An autopsy is planned by Anderson County officials following reports of a heart attack, though no cause of death has been declared yet.
In four years in the league, Adams, a native of South Carolina, recorded 13.5 sacks in 29 games.
The tragic news comes less than 24 hours after fellow Bears defensive lineman Dusty Dvoracek was arrested in relation to a bar brawl in Oklahoma.