NFL

Parys Haralson, former NFL linebacker, dead at 37

Parys Haralson, a former NFL linebacker who played for the San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints across a nine-year professional career, died on Monday, the teams announced. He was 37.

“The 49ers are heartbroken and shocked by the news of Parys’ tragic passing,” the 49ers said in a statement. “Parys was a beloved member of our organization that lived life with an extraordinary amount of passion and joy, while leaving an indelible mark on everyone he came across.”

The cause of death is currently unknown.

The Saints also released a statement, remembering the respect Haralson earned from teammates and coaches for his “combination of dependability, leadership and professionalism.” Haralson’s final NFL season came in 2014, and he spent three years after that with the 49ers as their director of player engagement from 2016 until 2018.

The 49ers selected him with their fifth-round pick in the 2006 NFL Draft after four years at Tennessee. He appeared in seven games during his rookie season, then cracked San Francisco’s starting lineup 11 times the next year. Over the next three seasons, he set individual highs in various statistics — a career-best 49 combined tackles in 2007, a career-best 8.0 sacks in 2008, a career-best 12 tackles for loss and 16 quarterback hits in 2009.

Parys Haralson during a game with the Saints.
Parys Haralson during a game with the Saints. Getty Images

After helping San Francisco reach the NFC Championship Game in 2011, Haralson missed all of 2012 with a preseason triceps injury and was traded to the Saints before the 2013 campaign. Haralson’s final NFL season included 3.0 sacks and 35 combined tackles while recovering one fumble, giving him 118 career games, 88 starts, 275 combined tackles, three forced fumbles and five fumble recoveries in nine professional seasons.

Former teammates, including current New Orleans defensive end Cameron Jordan, tweeted about Haralson after his death was announced, with Jordan saying “… the gems he dropped while being my teammates and the advice he gave off the field I’ll always value.”