Former Florida State and Jacksonville Jaguars linebacker Geno Hayes has passed away at age 33. The unfortunate news comes after it was reported that he was under hospice care for liver complications last week.
Hayes, who was a former sixth-round pick drafted by the Tampa Bay Bucs, entered the league in 2008. After his time with the Bucs (2008-11), Hayes had stints with the Chicago Bears (2012) and Jaguars (2013-14). He exited the NFL with 401 total tackles (313 solo), 10 sacks, and six forced fumbles.
In the aforementioned report, Hayes revealed that he was unfortunately diagnosed with “chronic liver disease” two years ago — an issue he believes stemmed from a family history of liver disease and non-prescription pain medications. As a result, he had been placed on a waiting list with Mayo Clinic and Northwestern Medicine for a transplant.
During his time as a football player in Florida, Hayes was a tough competitor on the field. Off the field, he was known for his willingness to help his hometown of Greenville, Fla. He played under former Jags coach Gus Bradley while in Jacksonville and started in 25 games for the Jags.
Alongside Jags Nation, we would like to send our thoughts and prayers to the Hayes family after this week’s unfortunate news.