Death Of Former USC Football Player Ruled Accidental
POSTED: 12:02 pm PDT May 9, 2006
by NBC

LAS VEGAS -- The Clark County coroner has ruled the February death of professional football offensive lineman Travis Claridge accidental.

A coroner's spokeswoman said acute pneumonia was the cause.

But Claridge, 5 feet 5 inches tall, 300 pounds, also had an enlarged heart and an intoxicating level of the painkiller oxycodone in his system.

The 27-year-old Claridge was originally from Detroit. He played for the University of Southern California and Atlanta Falcons before playing last year for the Hamilton Tiger-Cats of the Canadian Football League.

He was pronounced dead Feb. 28 at a hospital in Henderson after his girlfriend found him unconscious at his home in Las Vegas.

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