Former Wisconsin football tight end Jack Pugh has died
NEED TO KNOW
The school confirmed Pugh's death in a post on social media
Pugh, 24, retired due to mental health reasons in 2023
Former Wisconsin football player Jack Pugh has died, the school confirmed. He was 24.Pugh played tight end for the Badgers from 2021-2023 before retiring due to mental health reasons,theMilwaukee Journal Sentinelreported.No cause of death has been released at this time.Wisconsin football shared a tribute to the former player on X late Tuesday, March 31."The Wisconsin athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Pugh,"the school said. "Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff. Jack proudly earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025 and will forever be remembered and loved."The Columbus, Ohio native was a four-star recruit for the Badgers despite only playing football for his final two years in high school.
Pugh was highly recruited by Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland and Minnesota, according to theJournal Sentinel.In 2023, Pugh announced his retirement on Instagram.
"My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up," he posted at the time. "Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness."
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He continued, "In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I didn't want to be alive for years. I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole."
Pugh went on to thank his coaches, teammates and others for their support."I'll never forget the memories. Love y'all," he wrote.Pugh's former teammate, New York Jets running back Braelon Allen, shared the news of his death on social media on Monday night, and added a message to his followers."Protect your mental,"he wrote on X.
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