Goddammit, news like this just sucks…
Jake Ehlinger, Texas Longhorn Linebacker and younger brother of former UT, now Indianapolis Colts, quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found dead in his apartment earlier today at just 20 years old. The Austin police have not yet released the cause of death, but have said it is “not considered suspicious.”
Our hearts are broken. We love you Jake. You’ll be dearly missed, but never forgotten.
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 7, 2021
48💔 pic.twitter.com/eIdkFULkTb
Jake, a redshirt sophomore, had been a member of the UT Football team since 2019, and while he hadn’t seen the field during those two seasons, was twice a member of the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll.
Coach Sarkisian called Jake a “tremendous person” in a statement:
“Words cannot express the depth of our sadness and the huge void we are feeling, but above all else, our hearts pour out to Sam, Jena, Morgen and the entire Ehlinger family.
Jake was a tremendous person and was everything you could ask for in a student-athlete. Being a Longhorn meant everything to him, and he truly embodied all that it means to be one.”
After running on the field together for their first college game, Sam said the moment was “Unreal… We’ve been dreaming about that our whole lives.”
.@sehlinger3 on taking the field with his younger brother Jake, a freshman walk on. He said they had dreamt of it their whole lives. #ThisIsTexas #HookEm 🏈🤘🏼 pic.twitter.com/NEyFNVVC2g
— Paul B. Livengood II (@IamLivengood) September 1, 2019
Unfortunately, it’s not the first time the Ehlinger family has had to deal with a sudden, tragic death, as their father, Ross died in 2013 of a heart attack while competing in a triathlon.
Our prayers go out to the Ehlinger family.
We love you Jake. 💔🤘 pic.twitter.com/Gj1aaxz1tp
— Texas Football (@TexasFootball) May 7, 2021
