Former Patriots LB Clayton Weishuhn Dies at 62

Weishuhn, a third-round selection in the 1982 NFL Draft, set the New England single-season franchise record for tackles

Former NFL linebacker Clayton Weishuhn died in a motor vehicle accident April 22 near his hometown of Wall, Texas, according to the San Angelo Standard-Times.

Weishuhn was 62.

The native of San Angelo, Texas was a member of the New England Patriots from 1982-1986.

Former Patriots LB Clayton Weishuhn

Clayton Weishuhn

Clayton Weishuhn (53)

Weishuhn was a three-time first team All-Lone Star Conference selection during his career at Angelo State University. He was a member of the 1978 ASU football team that won the NAIA national championship while going 14-0 — the program’s only undefeated season. He ended his playing career as the Rams’ all-time leading tackler with 523 stops. After earning second team All-American honors as a junior, Weishuhn was a consensus first team All-American pick after his senior season in 1981 after setting the school record with 173 tackles. He was named first team All-LSC after each of his three final seasons (1979-81) and was a two-time selection for the J.V. Sikes Award (1980-81) given to the outstanding lineman in the Lone Star Conference.

Weishuhn’s former head coach at ASU, the late Jim Hess once said of Weishuhn: “I just knew he was the best I ever coached.”

Clayton Weishuhn, Angelo State University

Clayton Weishuhn was a standout for Wall High School

Clayton Weishuhn heads for the Patriots locker room

His impressive collegiate career made him a third-round selection (60th overall) by the Patriots in the 1982 NFL Draft. In his second season as a Patriots linebacker (1983), he set the Patriots' single-season franchise record of 229 tackles, which still stands today.

In the first week of the 1984 season, he suffered a severe knee injury which rendered him unable to play for the rest of the 1984 season and all of the 1985 season, including New England’s pre-dynasty first Super Bowl appearance against the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX. Weishuhn returned for the 1986 season. However, after only four games, he suffered both a hamstring and groin injury, again causing him to miss the remainder of the team's games.

The Patriots traded Weishuhn to the Green Bay Packers in 1987. He played seven games in Green Bay before ending his career at the age of 27.

In six career seasons, Weishuhn appeared in 39 games with 26 starts, earning four sacks, four fumble recoveries and one touchdown.