Baltimore Ravens outside linebacker Jaylon Ferguson has died at the age of 26, the team announced in an official statement shared on its verified Twitter account Wednesday.
"We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson," the team said in a statement. "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 Ravens didn't mention a cause of death in their announcement on Wednesday.
Ferguson was selected by Baltimore at No. 85 overall in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft and had participated in all of the Ravens' practices this offseason prior to his death.
The Louisiana native made 10 starts in 38 total appearances during his three NFL seasons, recording 67 total tackles, 4.5 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, 17 QB hits and two pass deflections.
Ferguson, who was nicknamed "Sack Daddy," holds the FBS record for most career sacks with 45 and was a former Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year (2018) and two-time first-team All-Conference USA selection (2017, 2018) at Louisiana Tech (205-18).
Ferguson had a son and daughter, who he said his life revolved around during a feature by PennLive.com in 2019.
“When I’m off the field, I’m just really, really calm, because I don’t see no reason to be riled up all the time,” Ferguson said. “On the field, I got people I can’t let down. That’s how I work. That’s how I eat. And I’ve got my kids now, so I’m not going to let nothing stop me from eating.”
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