On 1 April, the body of NFL star Vontae Davis was found by a housekeeper on a Florida property.
Vontae once shocked fans in 2018 when he said he was "done" and removed himself from a game at halftime, enjoyed a football career for ten seasons.
Speaking to reporters about his abrupt retirement, Vontae revealed that he had suffered multiple injuries and surgeries. The former NFL star also explained that he was becoming increasingly worried about the brain injury chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
"Reality hit me fast and hard: I shouldn't be out there anymore," Vontae said.
The death of the former Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts and Buffalo Bills cornerback sparked a police investigation that did not suspect foul play.
"This morning, Davie Police Officers responded to 6051 SW 178th Avenue in reference to a medical call. Officers were called to the residence by the house assistant, who found the homeowner deceased," a police statement read.
"We can confirm that the deceased individual is Vontae Davis, age 35. Preliminary information suggests that foul play is not involved. The investigation remains active."
The police investigation went on to find that Vontae had collapsed onto the floor of his gym just moments after stepping out of his sauna.
The investigation also found that the $4 million Florida mansion in the prestigious Southwest Ranches enclave was in the name of the stars' grandmother but named Vontae Davis as the owner.
Vernon Davis, who won the Super Bowl 50 with the Denver Broncos in 2016, has since spoken out about his brother's death.
"I couldn't have asked for a better little brother," the former Super Bowl champion said.
Continuing his grieving tribute to his younger brother, Vernon, 40, added: "This thing definitely caught me by surprise. I don't know what to make of it."
"He was like my son," Vernon recalled, going on to note: "We were four years apart, but I remember waking him up to do workouts when he was young and I was in high school. I made him do it because I wanted him to succeed even more than I wanted myself to succeed."
"We were the difference makers in our family. We came from a tough background, but we had goals and aspirations to be better than the space we came from."
"I'm proud of him for his great work ethic, ability, and discipline. For understanding the difference between good and great at something and putting in the work."
While Vontae's ex-wife Megan Harpe claims that her husband was diagnosed with the CTE condition growing up, Vernon said that his younger brother always seemed to be in good health.
Vontae never mentioned any brain injury and prioritised his health, Vernon said. However, the older brother considered: "Maybe that's the case, maybe it's not. We don't have an answer because there is no way to see into our brain while we live."
"I was at his house two weeks ago, and he had the massage therapist there. He had a stretch therapist, a chiropractor, you name it," he added. "Vontae never really showed a history of using drugs or anything like that."
Vernon told the Daily Mail there was no evidence of a break-in, noting that he is "leaning on the detectives to figure it out."
"Right now, we have no answers. They will run tests and said they'll get back to us. It could be as long as a month and a half until we know anything."
