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Former Ohio State Buckeyes defensive lineman Donovan Munger, who played on the inaugural College Football Playoff National Championship team, has died at the age of 30, his mother announced in a post shared on social media last week.
"My heart will never beat the same. It is with my deepest sadness that I formally announce to the world the passing of my eldest child Donovan Munger. Pray for my family 💔," Deidra Sanders wrote on her Instagram account.
Munger's official cause of death wasn't revealed, however, he had dealt with blood clots that had cut his playing career short. Munger celebrated his 30th birthday weeks prior to his death, according to another post shared by Sanders.
Munger rated as a four-star prospect and ranked as the No. 25 defensive tackle, No. 18 player from the state of Ohio and No. 289 overall prospect for the 2013 national recruiting cycle, according to the 247Sports Composite, which averages players' rankings from multiple recruiting websites. The Cleveland native appeared in 11 games during the Buckeyes' 2014 College Football Playoff National Championship season and 12 in 2015.
Munger was, however, diagnosed with a pulmonary embolism, which forced him to redshirt in 2013 and eventually forced him to retire from football after the 2015 season.
“It’s tough. You put your whole life into playing this game of football and you love it so much and then it gets taken away from you,” said OSU defensive line coach Larry Johnson about Munger in 2016 via Eleven Warriors. “It’s a tough thing to kind of swallow, but I think he understands this is best for him. He’ll still be a part of us, be a part of our unit and a guy that we can talk to but I think now it gives us a chance to move on in his life and do a great job in the classroom.
“Get his degree and if he wants to get into coaching, he’ll be able to do that. But right now, the best part of him is just taking care of himself.”