Bears DE Adams dies at age 26

[mobius387]

Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died Sunday morning after he was taken to a Greenwood, S.C., emergency room, the county coroner said.

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.

An autopsy will be performed Sunday by the Anderson County forensic pathologist, Coursey said.

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.

In 47 games over four seasons with the Bucs and Bears, Adams had 67 tackles, including 13.5 sacks.

sports.espn.go.com/chicago/nfl/news/story?id=4833908

 

[Wreck]

Dayum!

 

[MASSgains88]

Very sad.

I'm interested to see what the cause of death was. The recent death of the Southern Indiana basketball player was due to an enlarged heart...so I'm wondering if Adams may have also been affected by this "silent" killer.

 

[mobius387]

Chicago Bears defensive end Gaines Adams died Sunday morning after he was taken to a Greenwood, S.C., emergency room, the county coroner said.

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. Coursey said the preliminary autopsy performed Sunday indicated Adams died of cardiac arrest.

Adams went into cardiac arrest at his family's home early Sunday morning, said Marcia Kelley-Clark, chief deputy coroner for Greenwood County.

The autopsy showed Adams had an enlarged heart, a condition Kelley-Clark said can often lead to a heart attack. But Adams' relatives didn't know about it.

"Nobody was aware of any kind of medical condition," Kelley-Clark said.

Toxicology tests are being run by the State Law Enforcement Division, though drug use was not suspected as a factor in Adams' death. However, those results probably will not be available for at least two months, Kelley-Clark said.

"We are stunned and saddened by the news of Gaines' passing," the Bears said in a statement. "Our prayers are with his family during this difficult time."

 

[mobius387]

i wonder how long it will be until every pro sports player will be getting mandatory EKG's during each year's winter/summer training physicals. as far as i know, an enlarged heart is something that can be diagnosed from a 12 lead EKG. it was probably his left ventricle that was enlarged.

it seems to be happening to someone in sports just about every year.

 

[DaMexiRican]

Dam. That sux

 

[Wreck]

Very sad.

I'm interested to see what the cause of death was. The recent death of the Southern Indiana basketball player was due to an enlarged heart...so I'm wondering if Adams may have also been affected by this "silent" killer.

I seen this on the news, I thought it was because they said he went up for a rebound and his legs got knocked out from under him and he fell dead on his head ... the replay showed this too.


It sucks for this kid, he just had a baby like a couple days before with his fiance.

 

[mobius387]

NFL considering echocardiograms

Between the time of Bears defensive end Gaines Adams' death last Sunday to his funeral Friday, the NFL's Cardiovascular Committee began discussing the possibility of subjecting all players to a heart scan called an echocardiogram, starting with potential draft picks invited to the NFL scouting combine next month.

NFLPA medical director Thomas Mayer told ESPN that the medical examiner who performed an autopsy on Adams stated the enlarged heart that led to his death could have been detected by an echocardiogram.

But, as Mayer pointed out, the process is complicated.

Is the fear of legal liability going to influence a doctor? Are cardiologists going to agree on whether a player has an enlarged heart or an athlete's heart? Does that mean he's systematically finished as a football player?

More likely, a questionable echocardiogram could lead to more sensitive tests, such as a cardio catheter procedure.

Currently, echocardiograms are ordered only when a player has an abnormal EKG or has a family history of heart problems.

The NFLPA has reviewed Adams' medical files dating back to his entry into the league and his EKG and family history were normal.

Adams, who had just completed his third season in the NFL, went into cardiac arrest at his family's home in the early morning last Sunday in South Carolina.

The autopsy showed Adams had an enlarged heart, which can indicate hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that often leads to cardiac arrest.