Ex-Jets coach Rex Ryan paid a tearful tribute to Nick Mangold after the former center’s death.
The Jets announced Sunday that Mangold had died at 41 due to complications from kidney disease.
Former Jets offensive lineman Willie Colon was among the other notable figures who spoke highly of his former teammate.
The news of former New York Jets center Nick Mangold’s death at 41 hit the NFL world hard on Sunday, when the team announced the seven-time Pro Bowl center had passed away from complications from kidney disease.
Among those who paid tribute to Mangold was former Jets coach Rex Ryan, who counted on the two-time All-Pro as a fixture up front for his entire tenure (2009-14) in New York.
‘It’s brutal,’ a tearful Ryan said on ‘Sunday NFL Countdown’ on ESPN. ‘Such a great young man. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets. I remember (when) it was obvious I was getting fired, my last game, Mangold’s injured. And he comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.’ And he went and played for me.
‘That’s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome, and just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family.’
Ryan then stopped as fellow ESPN analyst Randy Moss comforted him and Mike Greenberg took over.
Former Jets offensive tackle Willie Colon, who played alongside Mangold from 2013-15, said he talked to Mangold last week but that the morning’s news ‘broke’ him.
‘Those who knew about my career as a Jet, I was injury-prone,’ Colon said on ‘Jets Pre-Game Live’ on SNY. ‘I had a lot of injuries, and there were a lot of days I was going out on that field on one leg. And I could look to 7-4 (Mangold’s number), and he’s like, ‘I got you.”
‘There was times where emotionally, I was a wreck. And he always had my back. So, I love you, Nick.’
Twelve days prior to Sunday’s announcement, Mangold had revealed that he was diagnosed in 2006 with a rare genetic disorder and was seeking a kidney transplant.
A staple of the Jets’ line throughout his 11-year career and a leading figure in the team’s push to consecutive AFC Championship Game appearances in 2009-10, Mangold started 164 of 176 possible games with the team. He was inducted into the Jets’ Ring of Honor in 2022 and is among the 52 modern-era candidates currently under consideration for the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class.