LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Officials say former New York Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus has died in Arkansas of apparent heat stroke. He was 32.
Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs says Petrus died Thursday night at a North Little Rock hospital. He says Petrus had worked outside all day at his family shop, and that his cause of death is listed as heat stroke.
Petrus was a University of Arkansas walk-on who played alongside Razorback greats Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and later earned all-Southeastern Conference honors. He was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round in 2010 and had a three-year NFL career, winning a Super Bowl with New York in his second season and playing briefly for the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans the following year.
The Giants offered their condolences over the passing of Petrus.
“We are saddened to hear of Mitch’s passing. Our thoughts go out to Mitch’s family and friends.”
Like much of the U.S., Arkansas is in the grips of an intense heat wave.
So sad to hear about Mitch Petrus, another @Giants Teammate Gone Way Too Soon. Mitch was so full of Life & ENERGY, it was impossible not to SMILE when you were around him. He was FULL SPEED in every drill & also in Life. Godspeed to his entire Family ���� #GMEN4Life
â Shaun O’Hara (@ShaunOHara60)
July 19, 2019
The Associated Press contributed to this report.