Former Notre Dame standout defensive lineman Louis Nix III, who spent three seasons in the NFL with multiple franchises from 2014-16, was found dead on Saturday in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, after being reported missing earlier in the week, the Fighting Irish announced on Sunday. Nix was 29 years old.
Nix’s family confirmed his death to CBS Sports and local Jacksonville media.
Nix’s mother reported her son as a missing person on Friday. She said he was last seen leaving his father’s house in Jacksonville on Tuesday. Nix and his mother speak frequently, so she told Ben Becker of WJAX-TV that her son’s sudden lack of communication was out of the ordinary for him.
The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office on Saturday night announced they had “located” Nix but did not release any additional information. That announcement came less than an hour after authorities pulled a vehicle out of a pond that closely matched the description of Nix’s vehicle in a call earlier in the day to help find him.
Nix was recently shot while putting air in his tires during a gas station robbery in December 2020. His mother said she did not believe that incident was related to his disappearance. However, she did say that Nix had been hesitant to leave his house and carefully watched his surroundings. He underwent surgery after the shooting and said on Twitter that the bullet ricocheted off his sternum and into his lung.
After leaving Notre Dame following the 2013 season, Nix hopped around the NFL with four teams in three seasons, most recently the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2014 NFL Draft after notching 122 tackles and 14 TFLs during his time with the Fighting Irish.
This article was originally published by CBS Sports on February 28 at 10:50 a.m. ET.
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