Former 49er Dies of Heart Attack at 29 : Autopsy of Carl Monroe Shows Nothing Physically Wrong

Carl Monroe, formerly a kick returner and all-purpose reserve with the San Francisco 49ers who scored the first touchdown in the 1985 Super Bowl, died of a heart attack Wednesday. He was 29.

Monroe was taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in full cardiac arrest at 7:30 a.m. after his girlfriend awoke to the sounds of him coughing and called paramedics. He was pronounced dead at 7:58 after efforts to revive him failed, said nursing supervisor Jordan Pavacich.

An autopsy showed nothing physically wrong with Monroe. Results of toxicology tests, which determine if drugs were involved, won’t be released for at least a month, said a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County coroner.

“There are no traces of anything yet,” said the spokeswoman, who declined to give her name. “We won’t know for four to six weeks.”

Monroe had two drunk driving arrests on his record, according to 49er spokesman David Rahn, and underwent therapy for substance abuse paid for by the team after the 1984 season.

A coroner’s investigator said Monroe’s girlfriend, Starlette Williams, told him Monroe complained of an upset stomach before going to bed at 1:30 a.m. The woman told the investigator they had eaten a pizza and shared a marijuana cigarette at about 10 p.m. Tuesday, but neither had used other drugs.