Jack Pugh, a former Wisconsin football player who left the sport to focus on his mental health, has died at age 24. The University of Wisconsin announced his death Tuesday, though his cause of death was not immediately known. Pugh, an Ohio native, was a tight end on the Badgers’ football team from 2021 to 2022, redshirting his freshman year and making his debut in a game against Minnesota.
In December 2023, Pugh announced he was stepping away from football due to mental health struggles. In an Instagram post at the time, he wrote: “I made a decision before the football season to medically retire, that I haven’t yet formally announced. My physical health wasn’t near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up. Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness.”
Pugh emphasized that football was not the root of his problems but that other aspects of his life had distracted him from prioritizing his mental health. He earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025. The Wisconsin Athletics family released a statement noting that “Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff.”
New York Jets running player Braelon Allen, who was Pugh’s teammate during their time at Wisconsin, shared a message on X following news of Pugh’s death: “Protect your mental.”
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://us.headtopics.com/news/former-wisconsin-football-player-who-left-the-sport-amid-81762964