Gaines Adams remembered as 'gentle, free spirit'

 The St. Petersburg Times reports: Gaines Adams, the Bears' defensive end who died of cardiac arrest Sunday at age 26, is being remembered by his former Tampa Bay teammates as an elite athlete who was humble, gentle and easy-going.

"He was one of the most genuine people I've ever met," said defensive tackle Chris Hovan, whose locker next to Adams' in Tampa. "He was this gentle, free spirit. He could be friends with anybody. He was always happy, always grateful for his life."

Adams struggled with the expectations of being taken with the fourth pick in the 2007 draft.

"When you're the fourth pick in the draft, you're going to be the face of the franchise," Hovan said. "It was tough on him at first because he was so young. But he understood. And he came out with the mind-set that he was going to get better." 

Get the full story: TampaBay.com

Photo: Gaines Adams struggled with high expectations in Tampa. (Rick Stewart/AP)