AJ Simon, an NCAA pass rusher who was an NFL Draft prospect, has passed away at the age of 25.
Simon’s school, the University of Albany, announced his death on Wednesday.
“Forever a Great Dane.”
“The UAlbany football program was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Amitral ‘AJ’ Simon this morning,” the team said. “AJ was a tremendous young man and even better teammate throughout his time at UAlbany. He was a role model both on and off the field, serving as a pillar to this program over the last two years.”
“He will be profoundly missed.”
“We love you, 8” the school’s Twitter account posted on X.
Forever a Great Dane pic.twitter.com/OoNxvLsqNb
— UAlbany Football (@UAlbanyFootball) April 17, 2024
Simon had left school after the 2023 season and was hoping to be selected in the upcoming 2024 NFL Draft.
“The No. 1 constant from his tape was the effort,” The Athletic’s report of him read, “which earned him a lot of attention from NFL teams the last few months. I thought his competitive play personality gave him a legitimate chance to stick in the NFL, either as a late-round draft pick or priority free agent. His passing is heartbreaking news for so many people, including the NFL community.”
Simon was first-team all-conference defensive end, and helped lead Albany to an appearance in the FCS playoffs last season.
Greg Gattuso, Simon’s head coach at Albany, made a post about his former player:
“Two joyous year [sic] coaching and becoming friends with AJ Simon,” he wrote. “My prayers are dedicated to the Simon family. I love you AJ and will always have a special place in my heart for #8.”
As proof that Simon was a legitimate contender to play in the NFL, the New England Patriots had recently used one of their pre-draft visit slots to meet Simon.
Many experts had him going in the late rounds of the draft or signing with a team as an undrafted free agent.
This much is clear:
Simon’s career wasn’t supposed to be over this soon.
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Author: Ryan E.
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