Colts: Family reveals cause of Sam Ehlinger’s brother’s death
By Jerry Trotta
The Indianapolis Colts‘ decision to waive Jacob Eason has paved the way for Sam Ehlinger to reclaim the backup role, which he was favored to win during his superb preseason before a knee injury landed him on injured reserve.
Ehlinger was activated off IR and promoted to the active roster following Eason’s departure, so it’ll be interesting to see what the Colts plan to do with a healthy Ehlinger back in the fold.
After all, they were forced to sign Brett Hundley to the 53-man roster after promoting him from the practice squad one too many times.
Speaking of Ehlinger, it was amazing to see him take the bull by the horns during camp and the preseason. Exceeding expectations as a sixth-round rookie is one thing, but to do it after the death of his brother, Jake, is a testament to his character. It’s been a rough start to Sam’s NFL career, and his return to the team unfortunately isn’t getting any easier.
The Ehligner family has just revealed the cause of Jake’s death and it’s devastating.
Per a statement released Thursday by the family, Jake’s death is believed to be the result of an accidental overdose.
“We pray that sharing Jake’s story will help shed light on this problem and prevent other families from also tragically losing a loved one.” https://t.co/JGii7mbcgH
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) October 21, 2021
Colts QB Sam Ehlinger’s brother’s death was due to an accidental overdose, per his family.
"“Today we are sad to share that we have learned that Jake was a victim of an accidental overdose of what was believed to be Xanax laced with toxic drugs including deadly Fentanyl,” the Ehlinger family said in the statement. “The spread of counterfeit pills is an ongoing and significant issue throughout our country, particularly in schools, colleges, and universities.“As our family continues to process Jake’s death, we felt it was important to share these details with the hope that Jake will not have died in vain. We pray that sharing Jake’s story will help shed light on this problem and prevent other families from also tragically losing a loved one.”"
Just heartbreaking. In every sense of the word.
Ehlinger was drafted just days before Austin police found his brother’s body at a location near the University of Texas campus. He departed rookie camp to mourn with his family and returned in time for OTAs.
We can’t imagine the pain the Ehlinger family has endured from this tragedy, and it speaks volumes about their altruism that they’re bringing awareness to the spread of counterfeit medication, a growing issue in the college community.
The younger Ehlinger had offers to play in the Ivy League, but chose to emulate the path of his older brother by playing for Texas. He served as the Longhorns’ walk-on linebacker last year and was entering his redshirt sophomore season in 2021.
Our thoughts continue to be with the Ehlinger family during this difficult time.