Former college football player P.J. Blue, who played at Louisville, has died at the age of 27. The Cardinals confirmed the death of their former linebacker, who had been teammates with Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, in a brief statement on Tuesday. No cause of death was provided. 'We are saddened by the passing of Cardinal Forever P.J. Blue,' university officials wrote on Instagram. 'Our thoughts are with his loved ones.' The Alabama native joined Louisville in 2016 - the same year that Jackson won the Heisman Trophy - and redshirted. However, he was forced to sit out the entirety of the 2017 season after tearing his ACL before finally taking to the field for the Cardinals the following year. In 2018, he logged snaps in 11 games, including four starts, and registered 39 tackles for the season. Yet another knee injury ruled him out of the 2019 campaign and he did not return to play again. Super Bowl champion Mekhi Becton, who also played with Blue at Louisville, led the tributes to his former teammate, writing: 'Rest in Paradise brudda!' New York Jets wide receiver Tyler Harrell and Chicago Bears linebacker CJ Avery were also among those honoring Blue in the comments. Prior to his time at Louisville, the defenseman had been a highly touted high school prospect. Blue was an Under Armour All-American and U.S. Army All-American nominee after being named to the All-Metro team first-team All-State at Park Cross High School. He had received offers from high-profile programs such as Alabama, Clemson and Ole Miss but ultimately opted for Louisville.
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