COLUMBUS, Ohio — Former Ohio State offensive lineman Shane Olivea, who was a member of the 2002 national championship team, has passed away at the age of 40.
A cause of death has not been released at this time.
Olivea was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes and was a two-time All-Big Ten second team.
Following his time in Columbus, Olivea was selected by San Diego with the 209th pick in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft.
Olivea started in 57 games for the Chargers over four seasons.
“In 2006, Olivea was an integral piece of an offensive line that helped Hall of Fame running back LaDainian Tomlinson break the NFL's single-season touchdown record,” the Chargers said in a statement following Olivea’s death.
In February 2008, Olivea was released by the Chargers. In a 2016 interview with the Columbus Dispatch, Olivea discussed how a painkiller addiction destroyed his NFL career.
At his height, Olivea told the Dispatch he was taking 125 Vicodin a day.
Because of the painkillers, he said he began to withdraw from teammates and coaches before his release.
In April 2008, he checked into a drug addiction treatment center.
Olivea signed with the New York Giants while in rehab. He was released again after hurting his back.
In 2015, Olivea re-enrolled in Ohio State and graduated with a degree in sports industry.
Former Ohio State teammates posted about his death on social media including 97.1 The Fan's Bobby Carpenter.
"Woke to the sobering news that @OhioStateFB lost a great one this morning. Shane Olivea passed last night ... More importantly I'll never forget the kindness he showed to a young freshman who was clueless and didn't know anything about anything."