Defensive lineman Shane Dronett, the Broncos’ second-round pick in the 1992 draft and a member of the Atlanta Falcons’ 1998 Super Bowl team, was found dead today in his home at Duluth, Ga. He was 38 years old.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Gwinnett County police responded to a 911 suicide call at Dronett’s home at 7:30 a.m. An autopsy is being performed to determine the cause of his death.
“The investigation is still ongoing relating to the cause and manner of death,” Ted Bailey, the chief forensic investigator in Gwinnett County, told the newspaper.
Dronett’s former teammates and coaches at the University of Texas said that the Longhorns All-American had a brain tumor that required surgery in the past year.
“He’d had brain surgery. When he told us that, we didn’t even know,” Lance Gunn, Dronett’s college teammate told the Journal-Constitution. “He seemed fine. You never know what’s in someone’s mind.”
Dronett was drafted by former Broncos coach Dan Reeves and played for the Broncos from 1992-95. After a brief stint with Detroit, he was picked up by the Falcons. He played defensive tackle for Atlanta from 1996-2002. Under Reeves’ leadership, the Falcons made it to the Super Bowl XXXIII with a 14-2 record in 1998. But the Falcons lost 34-19 to the Broncos in the Super Bowl.
“The entire Atlanta Falcons family is saddened by the news of Shane Dronett’s passing,” Atlanta owner Arthur Blank said in a statement. “Our deepest condolences are with his family during this difficult time.”
Dronett is survived by a wife and two children.
Patrick Saunders: 303-954-1428 or psaunders@denverpost.com
