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One of the Dallas Cowboys' 1971 Super Bowl champions has died at the age of 77 but what was the cause of death for Duane Thomas, who also played for the Green Bay Packers and Washington Commanders?
Duane Thomas' cause of death was not revealed by his ex-Cowboys' teammate, Thomas Henderson, nor The Dallas Morning News and it's unclear if he had any surviving family members.
"The Great Duane Thomas passed away yesterday," former-teammate Thomas Henderson posted on Facebook, announcing his death. "He was a great Cowboy.
"On his come back he was one of my roommates in Thousand Oaks. Lots of laughs and moments.
"RIP DUANE THOMAS"
Who was Duane Thomas?
Thomas was born in Dallas on June 21, 1947, and immediately had a knack for football by starring for Lincoln High School and West Texas State University before being drafted to the Cowboys in 1970 as the 23rd overall pick.
In his rookie season he quicky became the team's star running back, despite not starting the first five games, leading the team in rushing with 803 yards from 151 carries and five touchdowns.
He then became a Super Bowl champion the following season, after initially being traded due to contractual disputes, grabbing 95 rushing yards and a touchdown in the VI game against the Miami Dolphins after leading the league in rushing touchdowns (11).
He was then traded to the San Diego Chargers, who he never made an appearance for, then to Washington (now Commanders) before he had two more NFL stints with the Cowboys and Packers before retiring.
At the end of his football career, he developed the skills for carpentry and began to move around jobs to find income but retained a presence in punditry roles and Cowboys' celebratory events as well as similar events for black American Football players.