Probe continues into death of ex-Falcon Dronett

 Police responded to suicide call at Duluth home of ex-player from ‘98 Super Bowl team

By D. ORLANDO LEDBETTER

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Shane Dronett, a member of the Falcons’ 1998 Super Bowl team, was found dead in his Gwinnett County home Wednesday.

Gwinnett police said they responded to a 911 suicide call at Dronett’s Sugarloaf address at 7:30 a.m. The medical examiner’s office is investigating the case and a report could be available Thursday.

“The investigation is still ongoing relating to the cause and manner of death,” said Ted Bailey, the Chief Forensic Investigator of Gwinnett County.

Dronett, 38, was a defensive tackle for the Falcons from 1996-2002.

Dronett had a brain tumor that required surgery in the past year, according to former teammates and coaches from the University of Texas, where he was an All-American.

“He’d had brain surgery. When he told us that, we didn’t even know,” said Lance Gunn, his teammate at Texas. “He seemed fine. You never know what’s in someone’s mind.”

Scott Gooch, a former Longhorn offensive guard who knew Dronett since the two played for Bridge City (Texas) High School, said they last saw each other in October at Gooch’s 40th birthday party.

“He was a little slower than the Shane of old. The surgery had definitely slowed him down a bit,” Gooch said.

Dronett was drafted in the second round by Denver in 1992, where he played until 1995. He briefly played with Detroit before being picked up by the Falcons and head coach Dan Reeves, who drafted Dronett when he was with the Broncos.

Reeves was not immediately available for comment, but the Falcons issued the following statement from owner Arthur Blank: “The entire Atlanta Falcons family is saddened by the news of Shane Dronett’s passing. Our deepest condolences are with his family during this difficult time.”

Dronett is survived by a wife and two children.

Services are pending at Claybar Funeral Home in Texas.

— Journal-Constitution reporter Shane Blatt and Austin American-Statesman reporter Suzanne Halliburton contributed to this report.