Jaylon Ferguson has tragically passed away at the age of just 26, the Baltimore Ravens have announced.
In a statement, the NFL side paid an emotional tribute to their young star on Wednesday: "We are profoundly saddened by the tragic passing of Jaylon Ferguson. 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." Ferguson was a third round draft pick for the Ravens in 2019. The 26-year-old linebacker's agent Safarrah Lawson also shared a statement after the tragic news.
Lawson's statement read: "It's with great sadness that we announce the passing of Baltimore Ravens LB Jaylon Ferguson. The family asks for your prayers and privacy during this trying time."
Ferguson represented the Ravens 39 times during his career after an impressive college career at Louisiana Tech. He broke the school record for career sacks in his senior year in 2018 and was given the nickname 'Sack Daddy'.
He also broke the NCAA record for career sacks with 45, surpassing Terrell Suggs. Suggs is the Ravens' a;l-time leader in sacks and helped them win the Super Bowl in 2013.
He had participated in all of his team's off-season practices this year and the Ravens defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald had spoken highly of him ahead of the new campaign, stating that he was "doing a great job".
Macdonald said: "Jaylon, right now, he's doing a great job. He's competing.
"The techniques that we're teaching are slightly different than he knows, so that's a little bit of a learning curve for him, but once he gets out there full-go and rolling, then I expect him to compete."
