Cameron Ontko, a former professional football player who briefly took his game to the NFL, died suddenly at the age of 33.Â
The former linebacker passed away on March 7. His mother, Brenda Boulton, indicated his cause of death as a ruptured ulcer in a social media post.Â
‘Cal Poly mourns the loss of former linebacker Cameron Ontko,’ his alma mater wrote in a statement shared on social media. ‘Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and former teammates.’
Ontko tried to make it in the NFL, participating in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ rookie minicamp before playing three years in the Canadian Football League.
He walked away from the sport in 2018 at the age of 26, citing concerns for his mental and physical health. Â
The Ohio native started his football career at collegiate level, first playing for Wisconsin, playing two seasons with the Badgers.
Cameron Ontko, a former professional football player, died suddenly at the age of 33
The former linebacker (No. 4) played three years in the Canadian Football League
After spending the majority of his time on the defensive scout team, Ontko transferred to Cal Poly, a Big Sky Conference (FCS) school based in San Luis Obispo, California, in 2012.Â
In 35 games with the Mustangs, Ontko tallied 257 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven pass knockdowns, two sacks, and two interceptions.
However, his performances for Cal Poly were not enough to convince any team to select him in the NFL Draft.Â
Instead, he participated in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp in May 2015 in an attempt to earn a spot on the roster or practice squad. However, his attempt to make it to the NFL was unsuccessful.Â
Yet, undeterred, Ontko took his talents to Canada where he played 29 games over three seasons in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders (2015), BC Lions (2016) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (2017).Â
When announcing his retirement in 2018, Ontko cited concerns over the long-term effects of hits to the head on retired football players.
In his social media statement at the time, Ontko included a link to an article by Hamilton Spectator reporter Steve Buist that examined the long-term effects of concussions on a number of former CFL players.Â
The Ohio native (right) participated in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie minicamp in 2015Â
Ontko started his college career at Wisconsin before transferring to Cal PolyÂ
‘The disturbing differences found between the players and controls throughout the various forms of testing suggest strong evidence of a link between football, repeated hits to the head and long-term effects on the brain,’ the story read.Â
‘The findings raise very serious concerns about the future health prospects of former football players.’Â
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, such as concussions or sub-concussive blows.
It has come under great scrutiny within the football community, including the NFL, in recent years with many former players being diagnosed posthumously with the disease.Â
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Former Buccaneers and CFL player dead at 33 – years after quitting football over health concerns