Former Pro Bowl tight end Russ Francis, who starred for the New England Patriots and San Francisco 49ers died in a plane crash in upstate New York on Sunday.
The Patriots confirmed Francis' death on social media Monday morning, calling it "sudden and tragic."
He was 70.
According to the Adirondack Daily Enterprise, Francis and another man were killed when their plane attempted to return to the Lake Placid Airport due to an emergency shortly after takeoff.
A first-round draft pick (16th overall) by New England in 1975 out of Oregon, Francis started immediately as a rookie.