Uche Nwaneri, Former Jacksonville Jaguars Offensive Lineman, Dead at 38

Uche Nwaneri, a former NFL player who was a member of the Jacksonville Jaguars, died on Friday. He was 38 years old. According to TMZ Sports, Nwaneri was at his wide’s home in West Lafayette, Indiana when he collapsed in a bedroom. Police received a call around 1 a.m. local time, but he could not be saved. The cause of death has not been officially announced, but preliminary results indicate a possible heart attack. An autopsy was performed on Monday and showed no signs of foul play. 

Tony Khan, Jaguars Chief Football Strategy Officer and President of All Elite Wrestling (AEW) reacted to the news of Nwaneri’s death. “Rest In Peace, Uche Nwaneri,” Khan wrote adding Nwaneri “played 7 seasons with the [Jaguars], 2007-2013, and 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.”

Nwaneri was selected in the fifth round by the Jaguars in the 2007 NFL Draft. In his seven seasons with the Jaguars, Nwaneri played in 104 games with 92 starts and helped the team reach the playoffs in 2007. The Jaguars released him in March 2014, and he signed with the Dallas Cowboys in June of that year. However, Nwaneri was cut by the Cowboys in August before the 2014 season began. 

Nwaneri was active on Twitter and recently showed love to J.J. Watt after he announced his retirement. “Had a few battles with [J.J. Watt] when he was a Texan,” Nwaneri wrote. “Dude was a unit, but I enjoyed giving him a *gentle nudge when he would try batting passes. He was a master of the batted pass, and a menace in between the linesCongrats on a great career and welcome to the retirement club.”

The Purdue alum also paid tribute to Franco Harris after his death. “RIP LEGEND,” Nwaneri tweeted. “I was honored to have met Franco Harris during the Super Bowl in 2008 after my rookie season. Hung out all night at the bar with him listening to his old war stories. Was one of my first wow moments as a young NFL player. He was larger than life.”