Ed Flanagan cause of death: What happened to Lions legend?

Detroit Lions legend Ed Flanagan passed away at the age of 79 from heart failure at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania.

In 1939, Ed's father was a player for the Pittsburgh Steelers taxi squad while his uncle, Steve Lach, once had the season touchdown record for the Steelers.

Flanagan began his football career at Altoona High School as a running back but was later converted to an offensive lineman due to a lack of speed. He didn't start a game in his football career until his final season at Purdue University.

The San Bernardino, California native was drafted by the Lions in the fifth round of the 1965 NFL Draft. Flanagan was named to the NFL's all-rookie team in his first season.

Flanagan went back to Purdue and finished his degree in physical education following his rookie season with the Detroit Lions. In all, the offensive lineman played the first 10 seasons of his career with the Lions, starting 139 games for the franchise from 1965 to 1974. He was voted the consensus NFL offensive center in 1970.

The former Purdue star made four Pro Bowls with Detroit, serving as a player representative and team captain for five seasons. Ed Flanagan was named to the Lions all-75th anniversary team in 2018.

He would play the final two seasons of his career with the San Diego Chargers, starting 25 of his 26 games with the team.

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Ed Flanagan net worth in 2023

At the time of his death, Ed Flanagan's net worth was $5 million.

After his NFL career ended, Flanagan coached for three years in the USFL with the Oakland Invaders and many teams in the Arena Football League, including the Arizona Rattlers.

He's survived by his wife, Tina (Reed) Flanagan and four children: sons Edward, Daniel, and Ryan Flanagan and daugther Meghan Flanagan.