{"id":17780,"date":"2025-10-27T01:18:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-27T01:18:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/17780\/"},"modified":"2025-10-27T01:18:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-27T01:18:10","slug":"nick-mangold-former-all-pro-center-for-the-jets-dies-at-41","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/17780\/","title":{"rendered":"Nick Mangold, former All-Pro center for the Jets, dies at 41"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nick Mangold, the former All-Pro center for the Jets who spent all 11 of his NFL seasons with New York, has died, the team announced<\/a> on Sunday. He was 41.<\/p>\n

Mangold died on Saturday night from complications of kidney disease, according to the Jets. Less than two weeks ago, Mangold had publicly stated that he needed a kidney transplant<\/a> and asked for help in finding a donor. He was diagnosed in 2006 with a genetic defect that had led to chronic kidney disease.<\/p>\n

Selected No. 29 by the Jets out of Ohio State in the 2006 NFL Draft, Mangold was a three-time All-Pro before retiring in 2016. He was a first-team All-Pro in 2009 and 2010, when he helped the Jets reach consecutive AFC Championship games. From 2008-2015, Mangold was named to seven Pro Bowls.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s brutal,\u201d an emotional Rex Ryan, who was the head coach of the Jets for six of Mangold\u2019s seasons, said on ESPN\u2019s \u201cSunday NFL Countdown.\u201d \u201cSuch a great young man.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rex Ryan mourns the loss of his former player Nick Mangold following his death from kidney disease. pic.twitter.com\/xhpJJ0yue3<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 ESPN (@espn) October 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

With Mangold anchoring the front line alongside fellow Pro Bowl offensive linemen Alan Faneca and D\u2019Brickashaw Ferguson in 2009, the Jets led the league in total rushing yards (2,756 yards). They ranked fourth in 2010.<\/p>\n

Mangold was a leader on the Jets and, with an outgoing personality, bushy beard and long blond hair that peeked out from his helmet, he was a recognizable figure and beloved by fans. When he was inducted into the Jets\u2019 Ring of Honor in 2022, he drank a can of Bud Light during his on-field speech at halftime. Ryan recalled Mangold\u2019s fierce loyalty, even in tough times.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember it was obvious I was going to get fired,\u201d Ryan said on ESPN. \u201cMy last game, Mangold\u2019s injured, like injured, and he comes to me and says, \u2018I\u2019m playing this game.\u2019 He wanted to play for me. That\u2019s what I remember about this kid. He was awesome, and just way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and family.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jets owner Woody Johnson released a statement<\/a> Sunday, calling Mangold \u201cone of the greatest to ever wear the green and white.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHis impact on our organization, and our fans will continue to be felt for generations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson reacted to the news on social media<\/a>. \u201cI am devastated to hear this,\u201d he said, \u201cand will hold on to the insight you\u2019ve given me over these past few years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mangold started at center in his first game with the Jets in 2006, and he didn\u2019t miss a game until 2011, when an ankle injury ended his streak of 89 straight starts. He helped lead the Jets to four winning seasons during that stretch, including three playoff appearances and trips to the AFC Championship Game in 2009 and \u201910.<\/p>\n

After the Jets\u2019 win over the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, the team\u2019s first of the season, coach Aaron Glenn paid tribute to Mangold<\/a>. Noting that he was a scout with the organization when Mangold was playing, Glenn called him \u201cthe heart and soul of this team.\u201d Jets kicker Nick Folk, a former teammate of Mangold\u2019s, was in tears in the postgame locker room.<\/p>\n

\u201cAt the end, he was there with us,\u201d Folk told reporters.<\/p>\n

As news of Mangold\u2019s death spread, former teammates and coaches shared tributes to him and memories of their time together on and off the field.<\/p>\n

Darrelle Revis, the Jets\u2019 Hall of Fame defensive back who spent eight seasons in New York with Mangold, posted<\/a> on social media: \u201cI was fortunate to have the opportunity to lace them up with you every Sunday. I will miss you and forever cherish our moments in the locker room.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was more than a teammate,\u201d former Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez wrote on X<\/a>. \u201cHe was my big brother who introduced me to the NFL.\u201d Sanchez spent four seasons with Mangold and the Jets, beginning with Sanchez\u2019s rookie year in 2009.<\/p>\n

Ohio lieutenant governor Jim Tressel, who coached Mangold at Ohio State, called<\/a> his former player \u201ceverything you could wish for as a teammate, player, son, friend, husband, father, and American: loyal, hard-working, selfless, caring, and loving.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mangold was a three-year starter at Ohio State, where he earned first-team All-America honors as a senior in 2005. He was also a member of the Buckeyes\u2019 national championship team in 2002 as a freshman.<\/p>\n

Willie Colon, who played alongside Mangold on the Jets\u2019 offensive line from 2013 through 2015, held back tears while speaking about Mangold on the SNY cable network. \u201cIt broke me,\u201d Colon said, describing his reaction to the news of Mangold\u2019s death.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was the face of the Jets,\u201d added Colon, who is now a studio analyst for the network. \u201cHe was the captain, and he made room for a guy like me. \u2026 He allowed me in that room to not only be a leader, but somebody who had a voice.\u201d<\/p>\n

“When I got the nod from Rex Ryan to come to New York and play, I didn’t just want to play for the Jets. I wanted to play with Nick Mangold. I wanted to play besides D’Brickashaw Ferguson, because we were all in the same draft class. We all got drafted in ’06 together so we had\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/BC3hyWbJaE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 26, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Last week, Mangold was named as one of 52 modern-era players who cleared the second hurdle toward possible induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2026. The final list of four to eight players who will make up the Hall\u2019s Class of 2026 will be named in February, the day before Super Bowl XL.<\/p>\n

Speaking on SNY, Colon detailed the close bonds that offensive linemen form while playing together and explained how Mangold had supported him during his time with the Jets.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe thing about offensive linemen, man, we take all the arrows, we take everything that comes with the dirty work \u2014 that\u2019s part of our creed,\u201d Colon said. \u201cBut what gets us through it is the fact that we\u2019re doing it together.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere was a lot of days when I was going on that field with one leg, and I could look to 74 and he said, \u2018I got you.\u2019 And there was times when emotionally I was a wreck, and he always had my back. So, I love you, Nick.\u201d<\/p>\n