After being reported missing earlier this week, former Notre Dame and New York Giants defensive tackle Louis Nix III was found dead, ESPN reports.
Nix’s death was confirmed by his mother on Saturday. She originally reported that her son was missing on Friday, and feared that he was in danger, according to Action News. She called his disappearance “out of the normal for him.”
”I’m praying he’s OK, but this is out of the norm for him,” his mother, Stephanie Wingfield, said.
“I want nobody to be in my shoes, I’m not saying something has happened to my son, prayerfully, I hope it has not, but just not knowing, you know, your kids is your kids,” she added.
Per the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Nix was last seen leaving his father’s Jacksonville residence last week, and was confirmed dead by a family member days later, WJXT TV-4 reports.
His car was recovered from a pond near his apartment complex on Saturday.
Nix was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft.
While his career was plagued by injuries, he managed to play for a variety of NFL teams. His career ultimately ended in 2017. Nix had a tumultuous time in recent years, and was shot in 2020 in an attempted robbery.
“The bullet that hit me ricocheted off my sternum into my lung,” he tweeted after the shooting. “Surgery is the next step so keep praying for me. Thank you all for the positive energy and prayers.”
