Former NFL coach Rex Ryan turned visibly emotional throughout an ESPN phase on Sunday upon studying of New York Jets participant Nick Mangold’s loss of life.
Mangold, 41, died Saturday from problems associated to kidney illness, his former staff confirmed over the weekend.
Showing on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Ryan choked up whereas reminiscing about Mangold, whom he coached for six seasons.
“It’s brutal. Such a great young man,” he stated by way of tears. “I remember it was obvious I was getting fired. My last game, Mangold’s injured, like injured, and he comes to me. He says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me. That’s what I remember about this kid.”
He went on to notice: “He was awesome, and just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family.”
Mangold, an Ohio native, spent 11 seasons with the New York Jets earlier than retiring from the NFL in 2018. He is survived by his spouse, Jennifer Richmond, and their kids Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte.
His loss of life comes lower than two weeks after he went public together with his kidney illness prognosis, and expressed his hope of discovering a donor with O-type blood.
“After a rough summer, I’m undergoing dialysis as we look for a kidney transplant,” Mangold wrote on Instagram Oct. 14. “I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time.”
Al Pereira through Getty Photographs
“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon.”
Additionally honoring Mangold on ESPN this week was former teammate Damien Woody.
“I lost a brother, and everyone knows that when you’re spending as much time as you are with one another in that facility, you are family,” Woody, who performed with the New York Jets from 2008 to 2010 after stints with the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions, stated Monday. “Nick was a guy who always kept things lighthearted. He was always a guy that kept things, kept things fun. He was the best lineman that I ever played with.”
Watch a “Good Morning America” phase that includes Rex Ryan’s remarks beneath.
