Former New England Patriots defensive tackle Ron Brace died on Saturday night at the age of 29.
The cause of death was not immediately revealed. Springfield (Mass.) police told MassLive.com that an investigation of the death is ongoing but that it isn’t suspicious.
Brace was a second-round draft pick of the Patriots in 2009 after a standout college career at Boston College.
“We were deeply saddened to hear the news this morning of Ron Brace’s death,” the Patriots said in a statement. “Seven years ago tomorrow, we drafted Ron after his standout career at Boston College. During his Patriots career, the Springfield native was always eager to volunteer and give back in our communities, especially when those community initiatives were held in Western Mass.
“It is difficult to believe that someone so young and in the prime of his life is no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron’s family, friends and the many former teammates who will mourn Ron’s passing.”
Brace played in 39 games (seven starts) and posted 39 career tackles for New England from 2009-12. He signed with the Washington Redskins in 2013 but never played in another NFL game.
Brace had 22 tackles for losses in four seasons at Boston College from 2005-08. He had a career-best 10 as a senior.