Bironas, who was married to Rachel Bradshaw, the daughter of Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, was released by the Titans in March following nine seasons with the team. Don McPeak-USA TODAY Sports
Events leading up to the death of former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas, who died in a single-car crash in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday night, are under investigation by authorities who received multiple inquiries from drivers who claim Bironas intentionally attempted to run them off the road.
Bironas, 36, lost control of his SUV while traveling at a high rate of speed and went off the road, hitting several trees before turning upside down around 11 p.m. CT, Metro Police said. He was transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival. There was no evidence of drugs or alcohol.
Two Belmont students came forward Tuesday to say Bironas made threatening comments at an intersection and then chased them at a high rate of speed before he crashed. Previously, a woman called 911 to say Bironas tried to run her vehicle off the road in the same area.
The students said the encounter with Bironas took place around 10:30, about the time his wife phoned police to report him missing. When Bironas followed their vehicle on Franklin Road, one of the students said the Ford F-150 in which he was a passenger narrowly escaped Bironas sideswipe attempt “by about a foot,” according to his account in the Tennessean, before realizing “It was a fight or flight situation and, unfortunately, we had to take flight at about 110 miles per hour.”
Bironas, who was married to Rachel Bradshaw, the daughter of Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, was released by the Titans in March following nine seasons with the team.
Bironas scored 1,032 during his nine-year career with the Titans, second in team history behind Al Del Greco. He ranks fourth in NFL history with an 85.7 percent rate on field-goal attempts and holds the franchise record with 11 game-winning kicks, including a 60-yarder in 2006.
“We are deeply saddened to hear the tragic news from last night about Rob Bironas,” the Titans said in a statement Sunday morning. “Rob made a significant impact as a player in his nine years with the team and more importantly touched many lives in the Nashville community off the field. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Rachel, and his family during this very difficult time.”
Bironas was released in March despite converting 25 of 29 field-goal attempts in part because he was due a $2.875 million base salary this season. He had also averaged a career-low 61.1 yards on kickoffs in 2013.
Bironas worked out for the Detroit Lions last week and had also worked out for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the offseason.
“I had six great years with Rob in Tennessee,” Rams coach Jeff Fisher said. “He was a great player as well as an outstanding teammate. While he made memorable contributions on the field, his work and character off the field were just as significant. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Rachel, and the Bironas and Bradshaw families.”
