Former Ohio defensive lineman Donovan Munger passed away at the age of 30. His mother announced in a social media post last Thursday.
The cause of the death was not revealed, but Munger dealt with blood clots during the day playing football, reducing his time on the field.
Munger was on the Buckeyes National Championship winning team in 2014.
“My heart is never the same. With my deep sadness, I officially announced the death of my eldest son, Donovan Munger, to the world. Pray for my family,” said Munger's mother. I wrote it on Instagram along with the heart emoji that broke my heart.
Munger, a native of Cleveland, came out as a four-star rookie from Shaker Heights High School, played for Ohio State from 2013 to 2015, appearing in 11 games in 2014 and 12 games the following season.
Munger had been diagnosed with pulmonary embolism, so he forced his first year into a redshirt, and eventually he had to leave the sport after the 2015 season.
“It's hard. You've decided to play this football game for the rest of your life and you love it so much, then it's taken away from you.” OSU defence coach Larry Johnson spoke about Munger in 2016. “It's difficult to swallow, but I think he understands this is the best for him. He's still a part of us and a part of our unit, and we're He's going to be a guy who can speak, but I think he'll give him the opportunity to be willing to do great work in the classroom.
“If he wants to get his degree and he wants to get into coaching, he can do that. But for now, the biggest part of him is taking care of himself.”
Munger recorded five tackles during his career and lost one.
