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Former NFL champion Roger Shoals has died at the age of 86, it emerged on Tuesday.
The former lineman passed away on June 30 from complications from pneumonia at Lankenau Medical Center in Wynnewood, Pennsylvania, according to The Inquirer.
Shoals spent nine seasons in the NFL, including stints with the Cleveland Browns, Detroit Lions and Denver Broncos.
He was drafted by the Browns in the 16th-round NFL draft in 1961 before being selected by the Dallas Texans in the 1962 AFL draft. However, when he eventually turned pro in 193, Shoals opted for the Browns and th NFL.
In doing so, he joined on the league's best teams, going onto the win the 1964 NFL Championship game.
'That was heaven. The league sent us our rings. I still wear mine all the time even though people look at this old man and think 'What the hell is he doing with a diamond?' he told the Baltimore Sun of the triumph in 2014.
Former NFL champion Roger Shoals (back, second from left) has died at the age of 86
After two years in Cleveland, Shoals was traded to the Detroit Lions, spending six seasons in Motor City as a starter on the team's offensive lion.
He was traded again in 1971, this time to the Broncos before hanging his clears up after just one year in Detroit.
Over his nine seasons in the league, Shoals played in 104 games and started 70 at offensive tackle.
He famously opened lanes for star running backs Jim Brown in Cleveland, Mel Farr in Detroit, and Floyd Little in Denver.
During Shoals' playing days, NFL paydays weren't as lucrative as they are today and the former linebacker had to supplement his earnings.
Shoals also worked full time as a paper salesman, juggling his careers both on and off the field.
He sold paper for 30 more years after his retirement from football and purchased an ownership stake in a car dealership in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.
He lived the rest of his life through the aches and pains from the injuries he suffered throughout his career. In 2013, Shoals was part of the financial settlement between the NFL and its players regarding the long-term effects of head injuries.
Shoals' brain is set to be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the Boston University CTE center following his death.
Shoals is survived by his wife, Jean, son, Mike, daughter, Hollie, and four grandchildren, two brothers, and a sister.
