Uche Nwaneri, a former offensive guard for the Jacksonville Jaguars, has died. He was 38.
Nwaneri died at his spouse’s home in West Lafayette, Indiana, on Friday, the Lafayette Journal & Courier reported, citing the West Lafayette Police Division and Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello.
Nwaneri had reportedly pushed from Georgia to see his spouse for New 12 months’s Eve — however collapsed early Friday. Costello stated Nwaneri’s spouse discovered him unresponsive in one of many bedrooms round 1 a.m. Friday and referred to as 911.
An post-mortem Monday confirmed no indicators of foul play and instructed Nwaneri died of a coronary heart assault, although his toxicology outcomes are pending.
He “performed 7 seasons with the @Jaguars, 2007-2013, and solid a powerful bond with the Jags followers that’s remained to at the present time,” tweeted Jaguars owner Tony Khan. “On behalf of the Jaguars group and my household, our ideas are with Uche’s household + pals at this horrible time.”
Nwaneri’s mother and father moved to the U.S. from Nigeria in 1973, per Folks. They named him Uchechukwu, which suggests “God’s want” of their native language, when he was born in Dallas in 1984. Nwaneri joined the Boilermakers soccer workforce at Purdue College in West Lafayette in 2003.
He was suspended for the 2005 fall semester after breaking his teammate Ryan Noblet’s jaw in a battle at apply in July 2005. Nwaneri returned to the workforce within the spring of 2006 and concluded his Boilermaker run with a ultimate season — after which the NFL got here calling.
Chosen by the Jaguars within the fifth spherical of the 2007 NFL draft, Nwaneri performed with the workforce for 104 video games and had 92 begins, in accordance with NBC Sports activities. He was launched after the 2013 season and joined the Dallas Cowboys in 2014, however was in the end minimize inside months.
Nwaneri solid forward with a preferred YouTube channel, “The Observant Lineman,” which has greater than 35,000 subscribers. He and different former soccer gamers would frequently talk about latest video games and punt arguments backwards and forwards within the movies.
Many former teammates and journalists shared condolences about Nwaneri’s demise, together with Boilermakers teammate Noblet, who informed the Journal & Courier, “I’m sorry to listen to of his passing,”
“Uche was a fantastic individual,” Jordan Woy, his former agent, informed Fan Nation. “He was a really fascinating individual and had deep, valued and informative ideas on sports activities, politics and life.”
Others shared their reactions on social media: