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Super Bowl winning linebacker Clark Haggans has passed away at the age of 46. A cause of death has yet to be revealed.
He played college football at Colorado State and was drafted in the 2000 NFL Draft in the fifth round as pick 137th overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played for the organization from 2000 to 2007, establishing himself as one of the main cogs in defense. At the conclusion of the 2005 NFL season, he won Super Bowl XL with the Steelers.
He joined the Arizona Cardinals and played for them with distinction from 2008 to 2011. He played a final season with the San Francisco 49ers in 2012 before hanging up his cleats. While he was not selected to any Pro Bowl, his athletic achievements are recognized by his membership in the Colorado State University Athletics Hall of Fame.
Clark Haggans: A fulfilling career and life
Clark Haggans' story does not only encompass the Super Bowl win but it is so much more. Coming from a small college, he was suprised to be drafted, as he admitted in an interview to Steelers Now once his NFL career was over. It was especially tough for him to play linebacker in the NFL initially, given he was a defensive end in college.
However, he distinguished himself and was an integral part of the Super Bowl XL win against the Seattle Seahawks. Some will remember him being the defender that put Matt Hasselbeck on his back on the opening drive and setting the tone.
It was, of course, not always smooth sailing. He was involved in a DUI case when he was playing later with the Arizona Cardinals. As he explained it, he was out with his wife when their babysitter called saying their daughter, who had underdeveloped lungs, was having breathing troubles. Unable to locate his partner, he took off to attend to her, even though he was drunk.
After his playing career was over, Clark Haggans maintained the same commitment to family, shuttling between his children's mother in Denver and Pittsburgh and Vegas. He had one son, Damon, and one daughter, Alianna.
Beyond his association with the Pittsburgh Steelers, his time with the Arizona Cardinals was no less stellar. He was part of the team that went to Super Bowl XLIII. As luck would have it, he faced his former team. Unfortunately, he would go on to lose that game as Pittsburgh won their sixth and to-date last Super Bowl. However, as he admitted, he remains a Steeler at heart.
