Former NFL coach Rex Ryan became visibly emotional during an ESPN segment on Sunday upon learning of New York Jets player Nick Mangold’s death.
Mangold, 41, died Saturday from complications related to kidney disease, his former team confirmed over the weekend.
Appearing on ESPN’s “Sunday NFL Countdown,” Ryan choked up while reminiscing about Mangold, whom he coached for six seasons.
“It’s brutal. Such a great young man,” he said through tears. “I remember it was obvious I was getting fired. My last game, Mangold’s injured, like injured, and he comes to me. He says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me. That’s what I remember about this kid.”
He went on to note: “He was awesome, and just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family.”
Mangold, an Ohio native, spent 11 seasons with the New York Jets before retiring from the NFL in 2018. He is survived by his wife, Jennifer Richmond, and their children Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte.
His death comes less than two weeks after he went public with his kidney disease diagnosis, and expressed his hope of finding a donor with O-type blood.
“After a rough summer, I’m undergoing dialysis as we look for a kidney transplant,” Mangold wrote on Instagram Oct. 14. “I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time.”
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“While this has been a tough stretch, I’m staying positive and focused on the path ahead,” he continued. “I’m looking forward to better days and getting back to full strength soon.”
Also honoring Mangold on ESPN this week was former teammate Damien Woody.
“I lost a brother, and everyone knows that when you’re spending as much time as you are with one another in that facility, you are family,” Woody, who played with the New York Jets from 2008 to 2010 after stints with the New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions, said Monday. “Nick was a guy who always kept things lighthearted. He was always a guy that kept things, kept things fun. He was the best lineman that I ever played with.”
Watch a “Good Morning America” segment featuring Rex Ryan’s remarks below.
