Former Chicago Bears Safety Dave Duerson was found dead Thursday night in his Miami home, the Miami Dade county coroner confirmed.
The coroner did not state a cause of death.
Duerson's family asks that he be remembered warmly.
"Our family asks that you please remember Dave as a good, kind, and caring man," Alicia Duerson, Dave's ex-wife, told NBC Chicago. "He loved and cherished his family and friends and was extremely proud of his beloved Notre Dame and... Chicago Bears. Please keep Dave and our family in your prayers."
Duerson, 50, left an indelible mark on the Chicago football world. He earned All America honors at The University of Notre Dame and won a Super Bowl ring with the 1985 Chicago Bears.
The Chicago Bears issued a statement Friday morning praising Duerson's contributions to the team:
“We are stunned and saddened to hear the tragic news regarding Dave Duerson. He was a great contributor to our team and the Chicago community. Today is a difficult day for all of us who loved Dave. We’ll miss him. Our prayers are with his family.”
Duerson went on to win another Super Bowl title with the New York Giants before retiring in 1993.
After his 11-year NFL career, he followed his dream to become a manufacturer and owned and operated Brooks Sausage Company, later known as Fair Oaks Farms, where he supplied sausage to fast food chains.
Despite doubling his profits, Duerson fell on hard times, sold the business and went through a divorce from his wife, Alicia, after a public domestic dispute in South Bend, Ind.
The notoriety bled into his career and Duerson lost his position as a University of Notre Dame trustee after the scrap.
Recently Duerson hosted an Internet radio show called "Double Time with Double D" on Voice of America. He broadcast his final show Thursday.
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Duerson leaves behind four Children, including a 15-year-old named Tregg who lives in Chicago.
