Former San Francisco 49ers punter Max Runager, who helped the 49ers win the Super Bowl following the 1984 season, died Friday at the age of 61.
According to the Associated Press, he was found dead in his car in the parking lot of Edisto Memorial Gardens in his hometown of Orangeburg, South Carolina, per a report from The Orangeburg Times & Democrat. Foul play was not suspected and an autopsy was to be performed on Saturday.
Runager is a member of the South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame as well as the University of South Carolina Athletic Hall of Fame. Runager played 11 seasons in the NFL after being drafted out of South Carolina by Philadelphia in the eighth round in 1979. He spent his first five years with the Eagles, losing the Super Bowl following the 1980 season before joining San Francisco in 1984.
The Niners went 15-1 his first season and beat Miami for the title. Runager played four seasons for San Francisco and came back for one game in 1988. He also played four seasons for Cleveland.
Runager finished his career with 661 career punts and a 40.2 yards-per-punt average.
Runager is survived by his parents Geb and Nancy Runager; his three sons Kolby, Kramer, and Tyler; and his brothers Mike, Pat, and Clark and his sister Jane.