Jake Ehlinger died from drug overdose of Xanax and fentanyl

Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger was found dead near the school’s campus earlier this year, and his family has revealed the cause of death.

Ehlinger’s family said in a statement on Thursday that it was determined the 20-year-old accidentally overdosed on Xanax that was laced with toxic drugs, one of which was fentanyl.

“Today we are sad to share that we have learned that Jake was a victim of an accidental overdose of what was believed to be Xanax laced with toxic drugs including deadly Fentanyl,” the statement read, via ESPN’s Dave Wilson. “The spread of counterfeit pills is an ongoing and significant issue throughout our country, particularly in schools, colleges, and universities.

“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 was the younger brother of Indianapolis Colts rookie quarterback and former Longhorns star Sam Ehlinger.

This is the second time in a week that we have learned fentanyl contributed to the tragic death of a former athlete.