AUSTIN – Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger was found dead by Austin police officers on Thursday, the Austin American-Statesmen reported.
Ehlinger, a 20-year-old redshirt sophomore and the younger brother of former Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found unresponsive at the 1200 block of West 22nd Street, just a couple miles away from Royal-Memorial Stadium on the University of Texas campus. Police first received a call Thursday at 12:18 p.m. alerting them to the situation.
The Austin Police Department did not reveal a probable cause of death or any other details about the scene, but did tell the Statesman that Ehlinger’s death is not considered “suspicious.”
Like his older brother, Ehlinger played at Westlake before joining the Texas program as a walk-on in 2019. Sam Ehlinger was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in last week’s NFL draft, and social media videos showed the family celebrating the moment together. The younger Ehlinger had yet to appear in a game at Texas and was a two-time member of the Big 12 commissioner’s honor roll.
Below are several statements released by figures associated with the University of Texas, Texas Athletics and the Indianapolis Colts:
Statement from Texas athletic director Chris Del Conte: “Our hearts are truly broken and we are just devastated today to learn of the passing of our Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger. Jake was an amazing young man from an extraordinary family with such a bright future ahead of him. It’s just such a tragedy that we are all really struggling with. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his loved ones and friends, especially the Ehlinger family and our entire football program. Jake’s family — Sam, Jena and Morgen — are such vital parts of our Longhorn family, and we will be here to support them in any and every way we can during this very difficult time. While the sense of pain and loss are deep, our focus at this time is on providing support to Jake’s family, our football student-athletes, coaches and staff, and everyone so greatly impacted by this in our athletics department. We have resources in place and grief counseling available as we help support everyone in our program. With that said, we sincerely hope that everyone will respect their privacy as we deal with this devastating news.”
Statement from Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian: “We have an extremely heavy heart with the news of the passing of our beloved teammate, friend and Longhorn family member Jake Ehlinger. 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. In the short time we were able to get to know him, he always was a joy to be around and gave everything he had in workouts, meetings, practice and in life. This is a tragedy beyond measure, and as I told the team today, in a time like this all we can do is open our hearts, pull together and do our best to provide love and support to each other, especially to the Ehlinger family.”
Statement from Indianapolis Colts coach Frank Reich: “There are no magic words in these moments, but all we can do is be there to love and support Sam. We will do everything we can. With Sam, our thoughts and prayers are with him and his mother and his sister as they mourn the tragic death of Sam’s brother, Jake.”
Statement from Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay: “It’s very sad and tragic news that we received this afternoon during such an exciting time for the family, and our hearts and prayers are with the whole family,” Colts owner Jim Irsay said in a statement to NFL Media. “I know how close they were and we’re just really stunned, but we are prayerful and we know God has a plan. We are doing everything we can to console the family and do what we can to make things as easy as possible at this difficult time.”
