I wasn’t surprised when making my morning rounds to see that receiver Michael Crabtree had agreed to terms with the 49ers.
I was stunned to learn that former Ravens player Tony Fein, an Iraq veteran who was a 27-year-old rookie hopeful, has died.
Per Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun, Fein’s agent has relayed the news, but no details as to the cause are available.
Fein died Tuesday in Port Orchard, Washington.
“It’s a very sad situation,” agent Milton Hobbs told the Sun. “I am still trying to figure out what happened.”
Fein was cut by the Ravens on September 5, and he was not signed to the team’s eight-man practice squad.
A native of Port Orchard, Fein had been working out in the hopes of getting another chance to play in the NFL.
Fein was arrested in late August at Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, as part of an effort to crack down on recent violent incidents at the popular destination. Hobbs claimed at the time that Fein was the victim of racial profiling.
Our condolences go out to Fein’s family and friends. While 27 is an age that’s a little too old to be starting a pro football career, it’s an age that’s far too young to see the ending of a life.