Former NFL offensive lineman Mitch Petrus died of heat stroke Thursday, the Pulaski County (Arkansas) coroner’s office confirmed to USA TODAY Sports. He was 32.
Pulaski County coroner Gerone Hobbs said Petrus was pronounced dead at the Baptist Health Medical Center in Little Rock, Arkansas, around 10:45 p.m. after working outside all day at his family shop in the midst of a heat wave. The official cause of death is listed as heat stroke, with the heat index listed at 103 degrees Thursday.
Petrus played in 27 games in three seasons in the NFL, including a Super Bowl-winning campaign in 2011 with the New York Giants — the team that drafted him in the fifth round in 2010. Petrus also played brief stints for the New England Patriots and Tennessee Titans.
In college, the 6-2, 350-pound Petrus played for the University of Arkansas, where he was all-conference in the SEC.
Petrus resided and worked in Lonoke, Arkansas. He was a guitarist for his band, “Vikings of the North Atlantic.”
The Razorback Family has suffered a loss of one of its own with the sudden passing of former @RazorbackFB and NFL player Mitch Petrus. I want to extend my thoughts and prayers to his family, his teammates and all who were blessed to be a part of his life in some way. #RIPMitch pic.twitter.com/5Bm3JZjQRM
— Hunter Yurachek (@HunterYurachek) July 19, 2019
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SOURCE: USA Today, Scott Gleeson
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