Former Ohio State Lineman Zach Slagle Dies by Suicide

Ohio State University is in mourning Friday after news broke that former offensive lineman Zach Slagle has passed away. According to The Spun, a number of reports suggest that Slagle died by suicide. Slagle who walked on and played for the program from 2006-2008, posted a note on Facebook that was his final message to the world. His former teammate, Kirk Barton, shared the post and commented that Slagle was the second person from Ohio State to die by suicide.

In his message, Slagle said that he had lived his life to the fullest and that it couldn’t be compared to any other. He also said to not cry or mourn but to rejoice in a life well-lived. Finally, Slagle also includes the hashtag, “Check for CTE,” which only creates questions about other circumstances that may have impacted his decision.

Another one of Slagle’s teammates, Jake Ballard, has since created a GoFundMe to provide money for Slagle’s family and help pay for the funeral services. In the campaign’s bio, Ballard described the tireless work ethic that drove his former teammate to save up tuition and ultimately land a spot on the Buckeye’s roster.

“The Ohio State Football Family lost a brother, Zach Slagle passed away last night. Zach Slagle was a rare person. When describing him, most look at his great football career, which included making All-Ohio for Canton McKinley and playing for his beloved Ohio State Buckeyes.

“However, that just scratched the surface of who Zach was. Zach was a worker. His summer before enrolling at Ohio State, he worked tirelessly doing four jobs in an effort to save up for his tuition. Once he arrived at OSU, he was a very valuable member of the team and his toughness was very evident. His selflessness and grit helped the team go undefeated in the regular season, and he received his first of 3 pairs of gold pants for beating the University of Michigan.”