Bears defender Adams dead at 26 after heart attack

Gaines Adams, a 26-year-old defensive end for the National Football League's Chicago Bears, died on Sunday morning in a South Carolina hospital after going into cardiac arrest due to an enlarged heart.

Adams was selected fourth overall in the 2007 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who traded him to the Bears last October.

The former college star at Clemson was pronounced dead at Self Regional Hospital in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Marcia Kelley-Clark, deputy coroner for Greenwood County, said an autopsy showed Adams had an enlarged heart, which can often lead to a heart attack, and that family members were unaware he had the medical condition.

"I remember him at the 2007 Draft as a fine young man," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. "Our condolences to Gaines' family, his teammates on the Bears and Buccaneers and their organizations on their loss."

Adams made 67 tackles, including 13 sacks, in 47 NFL games. He had one sack in 15 games with the Bucs and Bears in the just-completed NFL season.

"He was a true team player and a positive influence to everyone he met," Buccaneers coach Raheem Morris said.