Former Wisconsin football player, who left the sport amid mental health struggles, dead at 24

Former Wisconsin football subordinate Jack Pugh, who walked distant from assemblage shot owed to intelligence wellness struggles, has died, nan assemblage announced Tuesday. He was 24. 

Pugh, an Ohio native, was a tight extremity connected nan Badgers' shot squad from 2021 to 2022. His origin of decease was not instantly known. 

Pugh redshirted his freshman twelvemonth and made his debut for Wisconsin successful a crippled against Minnesota nan pursuing season. But successful December 2023, he announced he was stepping distant from nan athletics because of intelligence wellness struggles. (Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)

"The Wisconsin Athletics family is profoundly saddened to perceive of nan passing of Jack Pugh. Jack was a affirmative ray and brought a genuine tone to our shot program. More than that, he cared astir group and was loved by his teammates and staff," nan connection read. 

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"Jack proudly earned his grade from UW-Madison successful 2025 and will everlastingly beryllium remembered and loved." 

Pugh redshirted his freshman twelvemonth and made his debut for Wisconsin successful a crippled against Minnesota nan pursuing season. But successful December 2023, he announced he was stepping distant from nan athletics because of mental wellness struggles. 

Pugh redshirted his freshman twelvemonth and made his debut for Wisconsin successful a crippled against Minnesota nan pursuing season. But successful December 2023, he announced he was stepping distant from nan athletics because of intelligence wellness struggles. (Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)

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"I made a determination earlier nan shot play to medically retire, that I haven’t yet formally announced. My beingness wellness wasn’t adjacent perfect, but my intelligence wellness was nan logic I decided to bent it up," he wrote successful an Instagram station astatine nan time.

"Over years of prolonged depression and constituent abuse, I decided I deserved a amended life and to yet find happiness. In nary measurement was shot nan guidelines of these problems, but everything successful my life had distracted maine for truthful agelong to nan constituent I ne'er had prioritized my intelligence wellness each along, digging a deeper darker hole." 

Pugh redshirted his freshman twelvemonth and made his debut for Wisconsin successful a crippled against Minnesota nan pursuing season. But successful December 2023, he announced he was stepping distant from nan athletics because of intelligence wellness struggles. (Courtesy of Wisconsin Athletics)

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New York Jets running backmost Braelon Allen, who was Pugh’s teammate during their clip astatine Wisconsin, shared a connection connected X seemingly successful consequence to news of Pugh’s death.

"Protect your mental," his station X. 

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