Jared Lorenzen "The Hefty Lefty" has passed away at the age of 38. He was admitted to the hospital over the weekend due to cardiac and kidney issues, along with an infection.
Here is a statement from the family of Jared Lorenzen pic.twitter.com/vTJn2gdNU5
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) July 3, 2019
Lorenzen was Kentucky's all-time leading passer with 10,354 passing yards. He also tossed a school record 78 touchdown passes. The records he broke, were of 1999 No. 1 NFL Draft pick Tim Couch.
Jared was a great teammate and friend. We competed against each other in college and came to the Giants together. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family. I will always remember his competitive spirit and his good nature. Jared has left us all way too soon.
— New York Giants (@Giants) July 3, 2019
-Eli Manning pic.twitter.com/OdgZYZ4xvL
Born in Covington, KY, he played high school football at Highlands in his home state. Lorenzen was named Kentucky's Mr. Football in 1998. As a junior he threw for 2,759 yards and 37 touchdowns for a Northern Kentucky record. The talented athlete also lettered in basketball and baseball. Lorenzen cemented his home state hero status when he committed to Kentucky halfway through his senior season.
Lorenzen was not selected in the 2004 NFL Draft, but was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent. He was with the Giants through the 2007 season and was part of the Super Bowl XLII team. The Colts picked him up in the 2008 offseason, but Lorenzen did not make the final 53-man roster.
Following his time in the NFL, Lorenzen played for several different teams in various indoor football leagues. His first stint was with the Northern Kentucky River Monsters. Initially he was the team's GM, but resigned from that position to play quarterback. After the season, Lorenzen was named commissioner of the league, a position he held until 2013.
Still having the itch to play, Lorenzen finished his indoor career with the Owensboro Rage (2013) and had his career go full-circle by going back to the River Monsters (2014).
After football, he started his own T-shirt company (ThrowboyTees) and was a guest host on Kentucky Sports Radio during the Kentucky football season. In 2017 he started "The Lorenzen Project" on Youtube. The show documented his battle with obesity. At one point, Lorenzen weighed over 500 pounds, but he had lost over 100 pounds by April of 2018.
More details of his death will likely be disclosed over the next couple of days. No matter the exact cause, 38 is way too young.
