Bears’ 26-year-old defensive end Gaines Adams died Sunday morning after he was taken to a Greenwood, S.C., emergency room.

From ESPN.com:

Greenwood County Coroner James T. Coursey told ESPN that Adams was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 9 a.m. ET Sunday morning.

Coursey said the preliminary autopsy performed Sunday indicated Adams died of cardiac arrest caused by an enlarged heart.
Adams, 26, listed at 6-foot-5 and 256 pounds, played in college at Clemson and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2007 NFL draft. He was traded to the Bears in October.

Considering that Adams was in top physical condition, this is a sad, shocking story. But if he had the enlarged heart for his entire life and they didn’t discover it until his death, then it didn’t matter what kind of shape he was in. My condolences go out to his family.

The Bears traded their second round pick in April to acquire Adams from the Buccaneers in October. Chicago doesn’t have a pick in either of the first two rounds this year, after also trading their first rounder to the Broncos as part of the Jay Cutler deal.


Photo from fOTOGLIF