Former Ohio State Offensive Lineman Shane Olivea Dies At 40

By Griffin Strom on March 3, 2022 at 10:24 am
Shane Olivea
Ohio State Dept. of Athletics
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A starter on Ohio State's 2002 national championship team has died overnight.

Former Ohio State offensive tackle Shane Olivea, who played for the Buckeyes from 2000-03, died at age 40, according to several former teammates at Ohio State and in the NFL. 

Former Buckeye linebacker Bobby Carpenter said on Twitter that he'll "never forget the kindness (Olivea) showed to a young freshman who was clueless and didn't know anything about anything."

Olivea was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes and a key member of Ohio State's 14-0 campaign that ended with a Fiesta Bowl win over Miami (FL) to claim a national championship. Olivea was a two-time second-team All-Big Ten performer for the Buckeyes.

The Cedarhurst, New York, native was drafted in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL draft by the San Diego Chargers and was named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie team for his first-year performance. Olivea started 57 games and played in 60 overall in four seasons at right tackle with the Chargers.

Olivea re-enrolled at Ohio State in 2015 and graduated the following year with a degree in sport industry.

Olivea opened up about his addiction to painkillers that derailed his NFL career in a story with the Columbus Dispatch in 2016, and aimed to help others avoid a similar fate in the future.

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