Gaines Adams Gaines Adams ( June 8 , 1983 – January 17 , 2010 ) was an American professional football player who was a defensive end in the National Football League ( NFL ) for three seasons . He played college football for Clemson University , and was recognized as an All - American . He was drafted in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft , and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears of the NFL . Adams died unexpectedly in 2010 from a previously undetected heart condition . Early years . Adams was born in Greenwood , South Carolina . He attended Fork Union Military Academy in 2001 and recorded 58 tackles , 22 sacks , and two interceptions in 10 games . He was a three - year starter at Cambridge Academy , a small private school which only had an 8 - man football team , where he was a dominant wide receiver and defensive end . His coach during high school was former University of South Carolina quarterback , Steve Taneyhill . In 2000 , his team won the state title . During that year , Cambridge shut out four different teams , beating one team 80 – 0 . They had suffered only one loss that season to arch - rival King Academy . He had 158 career receptions for 4 , 394 yard and 65 touchdowns , as well as 341 tackles , 10 interceptions , and 33 sacks in his career , and was a two - time All - state honoree . He chose Clemson over Georgia , Maryland , North Carolina , South Carolina , and Virginia . He had narrowed down his choices to North Carolina and Clemson , then signed with Clemson after the Tar Heels unexpectedly rescinded their offer . At Cambridge , he was named to the Greenwood Touchdown Club / Index - Journal All - Lakelands Team ( which included four counties ) . College career . Adams attended Clemson University , and played for the Clemson Tigers football team from 2002 to 2006 . He was redshirted in 2002 . As a redshirt freshman in 2003 , he did not see much action as the second - team defensive end , only totaling 15 tackles and a sack . In 2004 , he had 35 tackles with 8 sacks , and two blocked punts playing on special teams . For his hard work on special teams , Adams was awarded the 12th Man Award for Clemson ' s defense . Adams considered coming out for the NFL Draft after his sophomore year , but after the underclassman panel gave him a conservatively low ranking he decided to stay for his junior year . Adams ' 2005 junior season was a breakout year for him . He totaled 56 tackles , 9 . 5 sacks , and forced three fumbles while starting at boundary defensive end . For his senior year , 2006 , he was slated to be among the best defensive ends in the college football . Adams lived up to his reputation by starting all 12 games , recording 12 . 5 sacks , causing 2 fumbles and recovering 3 . By the end of the 2006 season , Adams recorded a total of 28 career sacks , tying the school record set by Michael Dean Perry ( 1984 – 1987 ) . In addition , Adams was named to all five All - America teams acknowledged by the NCAA in 2006 , and was recognized as one of seven unanimous first - team All - Americans that year . Professional career . Pre - draft . " Bench press " : 350 lbs " Squat " : 465 lbs ; " Power clean " : 345 lbs Tampa Bay Buccaneers . Adams was chosen by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the 4th overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft . He signed a six - year deal with the Buccaneers on July 26 , 2007 , worth $ 46 million , with $ 18 . 6 million guaranteed . He registered his first solo sack against the Atlanta Falcons in week 11 of the 2007 season . In 2007 , Adams had 35 tackles , 6 sacks and 2 forced fumbles . He led all rookies with his six sacks and gained him a place in the 2007 NFL All - Rookie team . He also played in Tampa Bay Buccaneers playoff loss to the New York Giants and finished the game with five tackles and one sack . Against the Colts in Week 5 , he blocked a field goal attempt by Adam Vinatieri . In 2008 , Adams recorded two sacks against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2 . He recorded his first career interception and returned it for his first career touchdown in a Week 3 overtime win over the Chicago Bears . The following week , Adams recorded another interception of Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers to seal a Buccaneers victory . In Week 8 , in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys , Adams recorded two sacks . Chicago Bears . On October 19 , 2009 , Adams was traded to the Chicago Bears for a second - round draft pick in the 2010 NFL Draft ( The pick was traded several times , eventually being used by the New England Patriots to select tight end Rob Gronkowski ) . In 10 games for the Bears , Adams had 7 combined tackles , 1 pass deflection and 1 forced fumble . Death . Adams was taken to the emergency room at Self Regional Healthcare in Greenwood , South Carolina on the morning of January 17 , 2010 , after his girlfriend found him at home . He was pronounced dead at 8 : 21 AM ET . The coroner confirmed , after an autopsy , that Adams died of cardiac arrest due to cardiomyopathy ( an enlarged heart ) . He was 26 years old . Neither Adams nor his relatives knew about any kind of medical condition he may have had . At the time of his death , neither drug abuse nor foul play was suspected .