NFL

Ex-Patriots Offensive Lineman Dies of Heat Stroke at 32

What to Know

  • Officials say former New York Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus has died in Arkansas of apparent heat stroke. He was 32
  • Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs says Petrus died Thursday night at a North Little Rock hospital
  • Hobbs says Petrus had worked outside all day at his family shop, and that his cause of death is listed as heat stroke

Officials say former New England Patriots offensive lineman Mitch Petrus has died in Arkansas of apparent heat stroke. He was 32.

Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs says Petrus died Thursday night at a North Little Rock hospital. He says Petrus had worked outside all day at his family shop, and that his cause of death is listed as heat stroke.

Petrus was a University of Arkansas walk-on who played alongside Razorback greats Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and later earned all-Southeastern Conference honors. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round in 2010 and had a three-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with New York in his second season and playing briefly for the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans the following year.

He played two games with the Patriots in 2012 after being signed following injuries to offensive linemen Logan Mankins and Dan Connolly. He was released later that season.

Like much of the U.S., Arkansas is in the grips of an intense heat wave.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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