Defensive tackle Adrian Dingle, who spent five seasons with the San Diego Chargers, died Tuesday at 45, Clemson University announced.
Dingle played with the Chargers from 2000 to 2004. His best season came in 2003, when he made 37 tackles and collected six sacks while starting all 16 games.
Dingle was selected by the Chargers in the fifth round of the 1999 NFL draft out of Clemson where he was an All-ACC defensive end. As a senior in 1998, he posted 10.5 sacks, a school record at the time.
His 180 tackles are still 11th in Clemson history and his 23 sacks ranks sixth.
“RIP to my teammate @AdrianDingle,” former Charger Marcellus Wiley tweeted. “We were just hanging, laughing, swapping war stories, and talking family. Rest easy big dog!”
A 2003 San Diego Tribune story about Dingle being made a starter by head coach Marty Schottenheimer referred to him as “one of the most reserved players on the team.”
“I’m going to go out there and do the same thing I’ve been doing, try to play the best I can to help the team win,” Dingle said. “There’s no extra excitement. You’ve got the same job to do.”
In the first game of the year, he responded with six tackles and two sacks against the Chiefs.
A cause of death for Dingle was not released.
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