'He tried to run us off the road!': Female motorist's terrified 911 call about Rob Bironas before former NFL star fatally crashed his SUV

  • Police say no drugs or alcohol appear to have been involved but a terrified woman's 911 call reveals his apparent temperamental state of mind
  • The former NFL kicker lost control of his 2009 GMC Yokon Denali on a curve shortly after 11 p.m.
  • Just before the crash, Bironas nearly ran a couple off the road - they would then witness the crash and call 911 to the scene
  • Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of NFL legend Terry Bradshaw, in June
  • Bradshaw told police she and Bironas had not been arguing

A Tennessee driver's terrified 911 call has emerged in which she tells the operator about her harrowing encounter with Rob Bironas just moments before he fatally crashed his SUV on Saturday.

'There is something wrong with him,' said the unnamed caller, who was in the car with her husband. 'He gave us a mean look. We don't even know him, and he tried to run us off the road.'

Shortly after their 11pm encounter with the former Titans kicker and son-in-law to NFL legend Terry Bradshaw, 36-year-old Bironas perished in a dramatic roadside crash.

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Left a wife behind: Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, in June

Left a wife behind: Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, in June

Deepening mystery: Bironas, 36, died in a culvert Saturday night after his SUV smashed into it at high speeds before midnight. A woman's 911 call, in which she describes the kicker's troubling behavior, was revealed Monday

Deepening mystery: Bironas, 36, died in a culvert Saturday night after his SUV smashed into it at high speeds before midnight. A woman's 911 call, in which she describes the kicker's troubling behavior, was revealed Monday

In the audio, obtained by the Tennessean, the spooked caller also tells the operator:

'We let him go on past us because he was trying to run us off the road and we don't know who he is,' she said '… We just pulled out of his way, and we saw all this smoke and pulled over.'

Metro Nashville Police said Bironas lost control on a curve in his 2009 GMC Yukon Denali and crashed after 11 p.m. less than a mile from home.

Police said in a statement on the department website that his SUV was speeding when it went off the road and hit a line of trees before coming to a stop upside down in a culvert.

Bironas was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Police said there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs at the scene.

The Titans released Bironas in March after nine seasons.

 
Dead NFL player's wife
FILE -- In this Dec. 3, 2006 file photo, Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas leaves the field after kicking a 60-yard field goal with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter to beat the Indianapolis Colts 20-17 in an NFL football game in Nashville, Tenn. Bironas died Saturday night, Sept. 20, 2014, after a car accident near his Nashville home, according to police. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File)

Tragic: Bironas was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center where he was pronounced dead. Police said there was no evidence of alcohol or drugs at the scene

Less than a mile from home: Bironas died Saturday night after a car accident near his home, according to police

Less than a mile from home: Bironas died Saturday night after a car accident near his home, according to police

The Tennessean reported Bironas had worked out earlier this week for the Detroit Lions and for Tampa Bay during the offseason.

Bironas married Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Terry Bradshaw, in June. Police spokesman Don Aaron said a police chaplain was with her after the crash.

Rachel told police she had said goodnight to her husband around 10pm and did not know he'd left the house.

She told police she quickly tried to contact relatives when she realized Bironas was missing. She called police after no one reported having seen him.

She told authorities they had not been arguing prior to the tragedy.

At the time of their marriage, Rachel told Vindy that she didn't think she'd ever marry an athlete.

'I used to think I would die before marrying an athlete,' she said. 'But then I met [Bironas].

She said he and father Terry got along well and were 'good friends.'

Besides marrying Bradshaw, Rachel was set to release her debut major label country album this year as well as go on a national tour.  

A post on his verified Twitter account, @RobBironas, stated Sunday morning: 'It's w/ heavy hearts that we confirm the passing RB (hash) 2 We appreciate your respect for the family's privacy and your prayers at this time'

A post on his verified Twitter account, @RobBironas, stated Sunday morning: 'It's w/ heavy hearts that we confirm the passing RB (hash) 2 We appreciate your respect for the family's privacy and your prayers at this time'

Dead NFL player's wife
Dead NFL player's wife

Bironas married country star Rachel Bradshaw in June despite her protests that she would never marry an athlete, and had become 'good friends' with her father, legendary player Terry Bradshaw

'I used to think I would die before marrying an athlete': Bironas's wife Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of NFL great Terry Bradshaw, revealed at the time of their wedding that she never thought she'd marry an athlete

'I used to think I would die before marrying an athlete': Bironas's wife Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of NFL great Terry Bradshaw, revealed at the time of their wedding that she never thought she'd marry an athlete

Father-in-law Terry Bradshaw will not appear on Sunday's edition of FOX NFL Sunday as he returned home to care for his family, NBC Sports reports.

A post on his verified Twitter account, @RobBironas, stated Sunday morning: 'It's w/ heavy hearts that we confirm the passing RB (hash) 2 We appreciate your respect for the family's privacy and your prayers at this time.'

The Titans issued a statement Sunday saying their thoughts and prayers go out to his wife and family.

'We are deeply saddened to hear the tragic news from last night about Rob Bironas,' the team said in a statement. 'Rob made a significant impact as a player in his nine years with the team and more importantly touched many lives in the Nashville community off the field.'

Bironas was the fourth most-accurate kicker in NFL history, connecting on 85.7 per cent of his kicks (239 of 279).

Only David Akers made more field goals (247) between 2005 and 2013 than Bironas. For kickers with 100 or more field goals since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Bironas ranked third making 75.2 per cent of his kicks from 40 yards or longer (94 of 125).

'We are deeply saddened to hear the tragic news from last night about Rob Bironas,' the Titans said in a statement. 'Rob made a significant impact as a player in his nine years with the team and more importantly touched many lives in the Nashville community off the field'

'We are deeply saddened to hear the tragic news from last night about Rob Bironas,' the Titans said in a statement. 'Rob made a significant impact as a player in his nine years with the team and more importantly touched many lives in the Nashville community off the field'

Only David Akers made more field goals (247) between 2005 and 2013 than Bironas. For kickers with 100 or more field goals since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Bironas ranked third making 75.2 per cent of his kicks from 40 yards or longer (94 of 125)

Only David Akers made more field goals (247) between 2005 and 2013 than Bironas. For kickers with 100 or more field goals since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, Bironas ranked third making 75.2 per cent of his kicks from 40 yards or longer (94 of 125)

He finished as the Titans' second all-time leading scorer with 1,032 points, and he set a franchise record scoring triple digits in seven straight seasons.

He also set an NFL record in 2011 in hitting a field goal from at least 40 yards in 10 consecutive games.

Bironas made a franchise-record 11 game-winning field goals during his career, including a 60-yarder against the Indianapolis Colts in 2006 that remains the longest field goal in Oilers or Titans history.

Bironas kicked an NFL single-game record eight field goals in a 2007 victory over the Houston Texans, including a 29-yard game-winner as time expired.

That helped him to make his only Pro Bowl, the same year he was an Associated Press All Pro.

He went to Auburn and transferred to Georgia Southern where he won a Division I-AA national title. Bironas went to work for his father's company in Louisville, Kentucky, and was cut by Green Bay in 2002.

He played in the Arena Football League and even the AF2 while spending time in training camps with Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh working as a part-time security guard and other jobs while trying to stick with an NFL team.

He won a roster spot with the Titans in 2005.

'To play in the NFL was the ultimate goal,' Bironas said in December 2006.

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