Clark Haggans, a former Steelers linebacker who won Super Bowl XL in 2005, has pἀssed away at the age of 46, a prominent Pittsburgh sports radio host announced Tuesday evening (June 20).
There is no information available regarding the cause of deἀth. Haggans played 13 seasons in the NFL, including eight from 2000 to 2007 with the Steelers.
In 2005, he recorded a career-high nine sacks and sacked Matt Hasselbeck on the opening drive of the Steelers’ 21-10 Super Bowl XL victory. Later, Haggans played for the Cardinals and 49ers, returning to the Super Bowl in 2012 as a member of the NFC champion 49ers.
Do you know that on January 2, 2023, Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin collapsed on the field during a game against the Cincinnati Bengals? Hamlin made a tackle, but he passed out upon impact with the ground. Damar Hamlin explained in a statement what caused his cardiac arrest:
At Colorado State University, where he excelled, he would later be inducted into the program’s Hall of Fame. In 2000, the Steelers selected Haggans in the fifth round of the NFL Draft, one year after selecting his college colleague Joey Porter.
Haggans told in 2019 –
“I was happy I was drafted – and to go and see Joey there with open arms. They should have played that Reunited song.”
The linebacker also recalled his first NFL game, which occurred on July 30, 2000, against the Cowboys in a preseason contest.
Haggans said –
“I was star-struck seeing Troy Aikman. I used to use him on my Techno-Bowl team.”
“Randall Cunningham was on their team then and when they snapped the ball, I didn’t move. It all happened so fast – I just stood there grabbing my cr0tch.”
“Before the pros, my coach would tell me – that dude with the ball – go get him and don’t let him score. If we had more points than the other team I was happy.”
“Now, I had to learn about unbalanced lines, jumbo packages, spread offenses and two-minute offenses. It was just crazy. It wasn’t just go get the guy with the ball anymore.”
The 2005 Steelers were the first team in NFL history to win the Super Bowl as a six-seed, with their defense carrying them through the postseason.
Haggans said in 2019 –
“A cool memory of course is winning the Super Bowl.”
“The coolest though was that the first dude I saw when the confetti fell was Joey. We would wig out when we won the Holiday Bowl at Colorado State – that was the greatest thing to us then. Here we were winning a Super Bowl together.”
He completed his career with 46.5 sacks, 520 tackles, and 370 solo tackles. Haggans is survived by two children, Damon and Alianna.
