Baltimore Ravens linebacker Jaylon Ferguson has died at the age of 26, the team announced on Wednesday. Ferguson was a third-round pick of the Ravens in 2019 who earned his way into the NFL by becoming a star player for Louisiana Tech. In three seasons with the Ravens, Ferguson totaled 67 tackles and 4.5 sacks.
Ferguson was the C-USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2018 and earned first-team All-C-USA honors on two separate occasions -- while setting school and NCAA sack records in the process.
After earning MVP honors in the 2018 Hawaii Bowl, the Louisiana native was selected by the Ravens in the 2019 NFL Draft as the 85th overall pick, spending three seasons in Baltimore and ingratiating himself with the city. The Ravens organization issued the following statement after Ferguson's death:
"We profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson. He was a kind, respectful young man with a big smile and infectious personality. We express our heartfelt condolences to Jaylon's family and friends as we mourn a life lost much too soon."
The cause of death is currently unknown.
