AJ Simon, a star defensive lineman for the Albany Great Danes with aspirations of being drafted into the NFL in 2024, died suddenly at the age of 25.
Albany expressed their sorry in a statement, saying, “The UAlbany football program was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Amitral ‘AJ’ Simon this morning.”
Simon, known for his impressive performance averaging just over 12 sacks last season, was honored with selection to the 2023 All-CAA first-team defensive team.
The cause of Simon’s death is unknown at this time.
AJ Simon, ex-Albany star and 2024 NFL Draft hopeful, dead at 25.
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) April 18, 2024
Died suddenly. No cause of death.
I wonder what might be killing all these young healthy people? https://t.co/LIamXc4bRU
More from ESPN:
Former Albany defensive lineman AJ Simon, who was hoping to be selected in next week’s NFL draft, has died at the age of 25, the school announced Wednesday.
The cause of Simon’s death wasn’t immediately known.
“The UAlbany football program was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Amitral ‘AJ’ Simon this morning,” Albany said in a statement posted to X. “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.”
Simon, who had 12.5 sacks last season for Albany, was ranked as the 448th prospect in the latest NFL draft rankings from ESPN’s Matt Miller.
Simon, a 2023 All-CAA first-team defensive selection, was from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania. He played the past two seasons for Albany after beginning his collegiate career at Bloomsburg University.
Former Albany defensive end AJ Simon has tragically passed away at just 25 years old.
— JPAFootball (@jasrifootball) April 17, 2024
Simon was a 2024 NFL Draft prospect with hopes of being drafted. Heartbreaking. pic.twitter.com/QvhqWcH3Kj
TMZ also reported Simon’s sudden death:
Former Albany defensive lineman AJ Simon, who was hoping to get picked in the upcoming NFL Draft, has died at only 25 years old.
The university announced the tragic news on social media on Wednesday, writing … “The UAlbany football program was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of former student-athlete Amitral “AJ” Simon this morning.”
“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.”
They continued … “He will be profoundly missed.” The cause or manner of Simon’s death is not currently known.
