R.I.P. Clemson Tiger/Chicago Bear Gaines Adams who passed away in Greenwood

 

 

GREENWOOD, S.C. -- Chicago Bears defensive end 26-year-old Gaines Adams died Sunday after being rushed to the emergency room at an area hospital.

 

Greenwood Coroner Jim Coursey told FOX Carolina News that an autopsy showed Adams died of cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

 

The Greenwood County Sheriff's Office and the Greenwood County Coroners Office are investigating.

 

Adams lived in a home in Greenwood. He played college football at Clemson University.

 

The Greenwood County Sheriffs Office said Adams was transported by ambulance from his Greenwood home to Self Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at about 8:21 a.m. Sunday.

 

Investigators spent hours at Adams' Greenwood home on Sunday.

 

The Sheriff's Office said there is nothing that indicates foul play.

 

FOX Carolina has learned from a source close to the investigation that Adams' body will be flown back to Chicago for a second autopsy.

 

Adams was the fourth player chosen in the 2007 National Football League draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was traded from Tampa Bay to the Chicago Bears on Oct. 16. Adams was traded in exchange for a 2010 second-round draft pick, according to the team. Adams appeared in 10 games as a reserve for the Bears.

 

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

 

According to a release from Clemson University, Adams was one of just three players in the school's football history to be a named a unanimous first-team All-American.

 

“This is a sad day for Clemson Nation,” said Clemson's head coach, Dabo Swinney, who was wide receiver coach of the Tigers during Adams’s playing career. “Gaines was not only a great player at Clemson, he was an outstanding young man. He was a great example of how you could progress through hard work. He played eight-man football in high school, then became a top five pick. How many people have done that? I was an offensive assistant coach during his career, and we all took notice of his considerable skills. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.”

 

Adams lettered for the Tigers from 2003-06 and finished his career with 28 sacks, tying for first in school history with Michael Dean Perry. He was named first-team All-American by every service in 2006 and was also named ACC Defensive Player of the Year. He was second in the overall ACC Player of the Year voting.

 

“I was shocked and saddened to hear this news,” said former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden, who was the Tigers head coach for Adams entire Clemson career. “When I heard the news, I thought it was his father because he has the same name. I just couldn’t believe it was Gaines."

 

Adams will always be remembered for his 66-yard fumble return of a botched field goal attempt against Wake Forest in 2006, a play that changed the course of the game, and helped Clemson defeat the eventual ACC Champion Demon Deacons, 27-17. That play was named one of the top four game-changing plays of 2006 by ESPN.

 

"I will always remember the smile he had on his face and I will always remember his patience," said Bowden. "To go from eight-man football, to prep school, then to red-shirt -- he waited his time, but proved it was worth the wait. Then he showed his patience when he came back for his senior year and could have gone pro after the 2005 season. This is a great loss and our prayers to out to his family.”

 

In his career, Adams had a total of 168 tackles -- including 44.5 tackles for loss and 28 sacks. He played in 48 games total, starting for 26 of those. He also had 21 passes broken up, the most ever by a Clemson defensive lineman.

 

Adams received his undergraduate degree from Clemson in December of 2006. He came to Clemson after one year at Fork Union Military Academy in Virginia. Before that, he played high school football at Cambridge Academy in Greenwood.

 

Adams had just finished his third season in the NFL before his death. He had a total of 13.5 sacks in his 47-game NFL career.

 

Funeral arrangements will be announced at a later date.

 

Stay with FOX Carolina News and foxcarolina.com for the latest on this developing story.