Former NFL champion dies suddenly
Football legend Jacoby Jones died suddenly Sunday at his home in New Orleans, just days after his 40th birthday.
No cause of death has been released for Jones, who is credited with helping the Baltimore Ravens win a Super Bowl championship.
"Jacoby Jones was a leader on and off the field,” Maryland Governor Wes Moore wrote in a tribute. “He exemplified grace under pressure and elevated our beloved Ravens. He was dedicated to lifting our young people, coaching at Calvert Hall HS and Morgan State. We will miss Jacoby dearly and our hearts are with the Jones family."
A deadly trend among athletes
Jones is part of what appears to be a trend of sudden deaths among athletes, especially former NFL players.
Last month, NFL Hall of Famer Larry Allen died “unexpectedly” while vacationing with his family in Mexico. He was 52 years old.
In August last year, NFL star Sean Dawkins died suddenly of a cardiac arrest, also at 52.
In April last year, former NFL defensive lineman Chris Smith died at the age of 31. It is unclear exactly how Smith died.
In December 2022, 38-year-old linebacker Uche Nwaneri was found dead in his home. Autopsy results Monday revealed the 38-year-old Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker had died of an “enlarged heart with acute heart failure.” Nwaneri had sparked controversy during the pandemic with his hostility towards those who refused the COVID-19 vaccines, calling for the unvaccinated to be imprisoned.
In November 2022, 56-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Brad William Henke died in his sleep. No cause of death was disclosed.
Also in November, 45-year-old former NFL defensive lineman Adrian Dingle died unexpectedly. Again, no cause of death was disclosed.
Over 2,000 cardiac arrests in athletes since COVID-19 vaccine
A report last year from Good Sciencing found that there have been at least 2,112 cardiac arrests or “serious issues” among athletes around the world since the introduction of the COVID-19 injections. According to a recent analysis of news reports from January 2021 through December 2023, 1,474 out of the 2,112 athletes who suffered cardiac arrests died, an average of nearly 500 athletes annually. Over half of these appear to have occurred among football players.
Previous data show that sudden cardiac death (SCD) among athletes under 35, now described as a “well-known occurrence,” was much lower. According to a study by the International Olympic Committee over a period of 38 years (1966–2004), 1,101 athletes under 35 suffered SCD, an average of 29 per year. Incidents were most prevalent in soccer and basketball.
Five-fold increase after vaccine rollout
Other recent reports have shown a disturbing increase in cardiac events among athletes. A 2021 analysis from Israeli publication Real-Time News reported a five-fold increase in sudden cardiac and unexplained deaths among FIFA players that year alone.
