The Ohio State football family received tragic news on Thursday that Zach Slagle, a former walk-on offensive lineman who played for the Buckeyes from 2006-08, has died.
Slagle posted what appeared to be a suicide note on his Facebook page early Thursday morning, and family members confirmed in comments on the post that Slagle had passed away.
Former Ohio State offensive lineman Kirk Barton was among those who took to Twitter on Thursday to share his sorrow about his former teammate's passing.
Just awful news about former Buckeye Zach Slagle. 2nd teammate from Ohio State to commit suicide. If you are ever down, please get some help. Its not worth it and people love you #RIP pic.twitter.com/Z33WVT5rdF
— Kirk Barton (@kirk_barton) August 8, 2019
Former Ohio State tight end Jake Ballard, who also played with Slagle, has started a GoFundMe in Slagle's memory to raise money for his family to fund his burial services.
“Zach was selfless as a teammate and friend and endeared himself to anyone who knew him,” Ballard wrote in his tribute to Slagle. “He was always the guy that everyone liked to see and be around. Zach was a fun-loving person with a heart of gold.”
Tim Botos of the Canton Repository reported Friday that Slagle's brain will be sent to the CTE Center at Boston University for examination.
If you or someone you know needs help, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at 1-800-273-8255. The Crisis Text Line is also available 24/7 by texting TALK to 741741.
