Uchechukwu Nwaneri dies at 38: Former Jaguars offensive lineman played seven seasons in NFL

Former Jacksonville Jaguars offensive lineman Uchechuk U Nuwaneri died Friday at his wife’s home in West Lafayette, Indiana. he was 38 years old.

Nuwaneri’s wife found him unresponsive in her bedroom around 1 a.m. ET, according to West Lafayette Police and Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello. indicates the possibility of a heart attack until a result of An autopsy performed on Monday showed no signs of foul play.

“Rest in peace, Uche Nuwaneri. [Nwaneri] He played seven seasons with the Jaguars from 2007 to 2013 and developed a strong bond with Jaguars fans that continues to this day,” said Jaguars Chief Football Strategy Officer and son of owner Shad Khan. Tony Kahn says. murmured Monday. “On behalf of the Jaguars Organization and my family, our thoughts are with the Uche family. [and] To my friends in this terrible time. ”

Nuwaneri played college football at Purdue before Jacksonville selected him in the fifth round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He broke out of the starting lineup in 2008 after making his one start as a rookie. Nuwaneri remained in the Jaguar starting line-up until his 2013 season.

Nuwaneri scored 92 starts while playing in 104 career games, all of them in Jacksonville. His block helped teammate Maurice Jones his Drew achieve his 1,000-yard rushing his season from 2009 to his 2011 for three straight seasons. Jones-Drew led his NFL with 1,606 rushing yards in 2011.