AUSTIN, TX – AUGUST 31: Sam Ehlinger #11 of the Texas Longhorns and Jake Ehlinger #48 run onto the field before the game against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium on August 31, 2019 in Austin, Texas.
The family of University of Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger, the younger brother of former Longhorns quarterback Sam Ehlinger, who was found dead in May near campus, died of an accidental drug overdose.
In a statement obtained by KXAN-TV in Austin, the Ehlinger family said they learned Ehlinger accidentally overdosed from what’s believed to be Xanax laced with fentanyl. The family wanted to share the information to shed light on the problem and so that his death would not be in vain.
As our family continues to process Jake’s death, we felt it was important to share these details with the hope that Jake will not have died in vain. We pray that sharing Jake’s story will help shed light on this problem and prevent other families from also tragically losing a loved one.
Ehlinger family
Jake Ehlinger joined the Longhorns football team in 2019 as a non-scholarship preferred walk-on. Sam Ehlinger, Jake's brother, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts this spring just days before his brother's body was found.
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In a video posted to the Longhorns’ Twitter account May 1, KXAN-TV reported Jake Ehlinger can be seen in orange celebrating the moment his brother got the call from the Colts along with his mother, sister Morgen Ehlinger and a number of friends.
