Former New York Jets center Nick Mangold, a franchise legend who endeared himself to fans and teammates with his blue-collar, every-man demeanor, has died, the team announced Sunday. He was 41.
Mangold's death came 12 days after he made a public appeal for a kidney transplant. On Oct. 14, he announced that he was diagnosed in 2006 with a rare genetic disorder and that he was undergoing kidney dialysis. He directed his message to the Jets and Ohio State communities, asking for a kidney because no one in his family shared his blood type.
"This isn't an easy message to share, but I want to be open about what's been happening with me and my health," Mangold said at the time.