Uche Nwaneri, a former NFL player who played for the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2007 to 2013, has reportedly passed away from acute heart failure. He was 38 years old at the time of his passing.
According to TMZ, Uche Nwaneri was found unresponsive at his wife’s West Lafayette Indiana home on Friday (December 30th). Police reportedly received a call around 1 a.m. stating that the former NFL offensive lineman had collapsed in a bedroom. Authorities did not find any signs of trauma or foul play.
TMZ then said that the Tippecanoe County Office of the Coroner stated that while the official cause hasn’t yet been determined. However, the initial preliminary report indicated that Uche Nwaneri died of an “enlarged heart with acute heart failure.” The official cause of death will not be determined until the toxicology report comes back. This will happen in a few weeks.
Following the news about Uche Nwaneri’s passing, Tony Khan, who is the son of Jaguars’ owner Shahid, issued a statement. He shared that Nwaneri “forged a strong bond with Jags fans” that remained to this day. “On behalf of the Jaguars organization and my family, our thoughts are with Uche’s family [and] friends at this terrible time,” Khan then added.
Jacksonville Jaguars had picked up Uche Nwaneri during the fifth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He played for the team until he was officially released in March 2014. Although he signed with the Dallas Cowboys a few months later, he didn’t make the official final roster cut. Prior to the Jags, he played for Purdue.
Following his days on the field, Uche Nwaneri started a YouTube channel called The Observant Lineman. He would discuss sports and music through the channel. He remained active with the channel until his death.
Uche Nwaneri Previously Offered Advice For Those Looking to Play in the NFL
While speaking to Pro Interviews, Uche Nwaneri once shared his advice for those football players who are looking to play in the NFL.
“I would tell them to work hard and focus on mastering their position,” Uche Nwaneri explained. “By doing those things you are putting yourself in a position to be evaluated and given a chance to play at this level.”
Uche Nwaneri then discussed his style of play. “I am a physical player. I like to dominate my opponents and I try to do that every play I’m out on the field.”
Also recalling his draft day experience, Uche Nwaneri said, “My Draft day experience was amazing! I had family and friends at my house while we watched the draft. When my name was called, the house went crazy! My parents ran around and so did my siblings!!! One of the best moments of my life!”
In regards to the lessons he learned at Purudue that would help him in the NFL Uche Nwaneri added, “I learned a lot at Purdue, but the thing that will probably help me most in the NFL is communication. Learning how to communicate with fans was big in college and it is an important tool for us as players in the NFL.”
