THE NFL world is in mourning after a former first-round pick died at the age of 73.
Dave Gallagher had a pro football career with the Chicago Bears and New York Giants.
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He quit the game and decided to become a orthopedic surgeon in his post-retirement career.
His cause of death has not yet been announced.
Gallagher began his playing career with the Bears in 1974.
He joined the Giants between 1975 to 1976.
The defensive lineman then quit the sport to enter medical school.
He headed to the University of Michigan to embark on his new career.
Gallagher briefly returned to the NFL from 1978 to 1979 with the Detroit Lions.
However, he practiced medicine after that for years in Columbus, Indiana.
It is understood he passed away back on January 2.
An obituary announcing his death has only recently been published, on August 4.
A graveside service is scheduled to be held on August 19.
Gallagher is survived by his ex-wife Carole, daughter, Bryn, sons, Pat and Drew, grandchildren and brother, John.
Before his NFL career, Gallagher was an All-American at Michigan.
He was selected in the first-round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Bears.
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He spent one season with the team before being traded to the Giants.
Gallagher was benched before deciding to study medicine.
He then decided to retire from football aged just 27 following two season with the Lions.
“I still don’t accept my benching,” he told the New York Times in 1977.
“I still don’t know if I’m walking away from it, not facing up to it.
“But I do know that I never wanted to be a marginal player. There are better things to do.”
Gallagher’s dad was also understood to have been a doctor.
