🔗 Share this article Jets Legend Nick Mangold Passes Away at 41 While Seeking Kidney Transplant Nick Mangold, a beloved player during his 11-season career with the New York Jets, has died at the young age of 41. Health Battle and Public Appeal Earlier in the month, Mangold revealed he had been undergoing dialysis and needed a kidney transplant. He sought help from supporters of the Jets and Ohio State, where he excelled in his collegiate years. “In 2006, I was found to have a genetic defect that has led to chronic kidney disease. After a challenging summer, I’m on dialysis as we seek a kidney transplant,” he explained at the time. “I was always aware this day would come, but I believed I would have had longer. “Regrettably, I do not have any relatives able to donate at this time, so this is why I’m turning to you, our NY Jets and Ohio State families. I am in need of a kidney donor with O-type blood.” Illustrious Football Career Mangold was a top draft selection out of Ohio State for the Jets in 2006. He dedicated his entire professional football career with the franchise, earning 7 trips to the Pro Bowl and was a league All-Pro on two occasions before he stepped away in 2016. During that era, the center fortified an O-line together with D’Brickashaw Ferguson that contributed to the Jets reach two AFC championship games. He is currently a candidate for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Mangold’s durability was highly respected and he missed only four games in his initial ten seasons in the league. “Nick was more than a iconic center,” the team’s owner said in a release. “He was the core of our offensive line for a ten years and a cherished teammate whose leadership and toughness characterized an era of Jets football. Off the field, Nick’s humor, warmth, and steadfast loyalty made him a treasured member of our extended Jets family.” Fan Favorite and Post-Retirement Life Mangold was a massive favourite with fans, known for his flowing locks, facial hair, charitable work and outgoing personality. He was active on social media and was seldom spotted without his backwards baseball cap. He was a frequent attendee to Jets games after his retirement – he downed a beer while being inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2022 – and stayed in the area when his playing days were over, becoming an assistant coach for Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey. “You get to shape boys into adults and teach the sport of football, but also teach them a little bit about the world as you go along,” Mangold told a newspaper in 2024. Ex- coach Rex Ryan, who coached Mangold at the Jets, was in tears as he remembered his ex- player on a sports show. “It’s brutal,” Ryan said. “Such a great young man. I had the honor of coaching him for all six years with the Jets. I recall it was obvious I was getting fired, my final match, Mangold’s injured – like, injured – and he approaches to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he wanted to play for me.” Personal Life and Legacy Mangold was wed to his childhood sweetheart, Jenny, with whom he had 4 kids, Matthew, Eloise, Thomas, and Charlotte. His sister, Holley, competed for USA at the 2012 Olympics in the sport of weightlifting. When he announced his illness he praised his family, stating they had “been my support every phase of the way. This situation has reminded me how lucky I am to have such an incredible family, friends, and network behind me.”