Two former Patriots, defensive lineman Julius Adams and fullback Kevin Turner, have died.

Adams, who was 67, was a fearsome defensive end, playing 16 years with the Patriots (1971-87) and making the Pro Bowl in 1980. He was a member of the franchise’s first Super Bowl team in 1985, a team that went 11-5 and lost to the Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XX.

Adams was a second-round pick out of Texas Southern in 1971, and in 2009 he was named to the Patriots’ 50th anniversary team. His son, Keith Adams, played seven years in the NFL (2001-07) as a linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles and three other teams.


Turner, who was 46, played three of his eight NFL seasons with the Patriots (1992-94) before spending five years with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Turner was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2010. After the diagnosis, he served as president of the Kevin Turner Foundation, which seeks to show the connections between repeated brain trauma and ALS in athletes.

Turner helped lead Alabama to a national championship in 1992.