Uche Nwaneri, a former offensive lineman for the Jaguars, died at 38.
According to the Lafayette Journal & Courier, Nwaneri collapsed in a bedroom at his wife’s home in West Lafayette, Ind. She discovered him early Friday morning, and called 911.
His son of Jags’ owner Shahid issued a statement shortly after the news broke saying Nwaneri “forged a strong bond with the Jags fans that’s remained to this day.”
“On behalf of the Jaguars organization and my family, our thoughts are with Uche’s family + friends at this terrible time.”
The Dallas native started his football career when he committed to Purdue over Kentucky and Texas A&M in 2003.
He was suspended from Purdue for the 2005 fall semester after breaking his teammate Ryan Noblet’s jaw during a fight at practice.
Nwaneri was picked up by the Jags in the 5th round of the 2007 NFL draft and played for them until he was released on March 4, 2014.
Nwaneri was selected by the Jaguars in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Purdue. He appeared in 104 games, starting 92, for the team between 2007 and 2013.
He signed with the Cowboys during the 2014 offseason, but did not make the team’s regular season roster.
Nwari covered the Jaguars as a YouTube personality, and amassed more than 21,000 subscribers on the platform.
Uche Nwaneri Cause Of Death
The Tippecanoe County Office of the Coroner tells us while the official cause hasn’t yet been determined, their initial (preliminary) report indicates Uche died of an “enlarged heart with acute heart failure”.
He was signed by the Cowboys a few months later but didn’t make the final roster cut.
After football, Nwaneri began a YouTube channel called “The Observant Lineman” where he discussed sports and music with his 21,400 subscribers.
