JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Former Jacksonville Jaguars player and Florida State Seminole star Geno Hayes died Monday at the age of 33, according to multiple reports.
Hayes had liver disease and was recently under hospice care.
Hayes is being remembered as a good man. Action Sports Jax had the privilege to cover him in Jacksonville.
He also played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.
Read more here.
Original Story from April 22 below:
Former NFL linebacker Geno Hayes is in hospice suffering from liver failure, according to ESPN.
Hayes, who played at Florida State and seven seasons in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears and Jacksonville Jaguars, has been suffering with liver disease for the last two years, according to reports.
Hayes told ESPN that it was not alcohol, but non-prescription pain medications that caused his condition, along with a family history of liver disease.
Prior to entering hospice Hayes’ said he was placed on a waiting list for a life-saving transplant at the Mayo Clinic and Northwestern Medicine after being hospitalized over 20 times in the past year.
Hayes played in 101 career NFL games with 70 starts spread between the Bucs (2008-11), Bears (2012) and Jags (2013-14). Hayes’ NFL came to an end after the 2014 season. He had 401 career tackles and 10 sacks.
This is a developing story. Action News Jax will update you on air and online as more information becomes available.