The Detroit News
Mike Lucci, who spent nine of of 12 NFL seasons as a Detroit Lions linebacker, died, the team announced Tuesday. He was 81.
A cause of death wasn't listed.
Lucci played for the Lions from 1965-73, earning All-NFL honors in 1969 and a Pro Bowl berth in 1971 — a season in which he tallied five interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. He was a team captain and the Lions' defensive Most Valuable Player from 1969-71.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Mike Lucci, whose passion for life was felt by all who knew him," Sheila Ford Hamp, Lions principal owner and chairperson, said in a statement.