The Larimer County, Colorado coroner is investigating the death of former Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker Clark Haggans, the office announced on Wednesday.
Haggans died at the age of 46 on Monday. His cause and manner of death remain pending further investigation, but foul play is not suspected at this time. Forensic pathologist Dr. Joe White performed an autopsy on Wednesday.
Haggans was a Torrance, California native that attended Colorado State University in Fort Collins. After his football career, he settled in Fort Collins, splitting his time between there, Pittsburgh and Las Vegas.
The Steelers’ fifth-round draft pick out of Colorado State in 2000, Haggans played 13 NFL seasons, the first eight of them in Pittsburgh, and was a member of the team’s Super Bowl XL championship squad in 2006. He retired from football in 2013.
Several of Haggans’ former Steelers teammates have taken the time to memorialize their former comrade this week.
“Clark was an amazing football player, but just a great friend, a great person and teammate,” former Steelers defensive tackle Chris Hoke said on 93.7 The Fan on Wednesday. “This is a tough one to swallow.”
Haggans was especially close with Steelers linebacker Joey Porter. The two played at Colorado State together before both were drafted by the Steelers, and they ended up as the team’s starting outside linebacker duo, winning Super Bowl XL together in 2006.
Porter’s son, Steelers second-round draft pick Joey Porter Jr., posted a tribute to the man he called his uncle on Instagram.
“Love you uncle, you will be missed,” Porter wrote. “Rest in paradise. Never had a dull moment with you! You could light up any room you stepped in!”
The Steelers as a team have not made any public statements regarding Haggans’ death.
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