Former Chargers, Ohio State offensive deal with Shane Olivea dies at age 40

Former Los Angeles Chargers and Ohio State offensive deal with Shane Olivea has died at age 40, the Chargers introduced Thursday. The group didn’t announce Olivea’s explanation for loss of life. 

Olivea performed for Ohio State from 2000-2003 and helped lead the Buckeyes to a nationwide championship in 2002. The Chargers took Olivea within the seventh spherical of the 2004 NFL Draft, and he proceeded to start out all however seven of the group’s regular-season video games over the following 4 years. 

In 2006, Chargers legend LaDainian Tomlinson set an NFL document with 28 dashing touchdowns with Olivea beginning each sport at proper deal with. 

After Olivea’s fourth season in San Diego, nevertheless, he entered rehab to deal with an opioid habit he developed throughout his rookie 12 months. Olivea instructed the Columbus Dispatch he took 125 Vicodin tablets a day on the peak of his habit, an quantity giant sufficient for his docs to name him being alive a “strolling miracle.” 

“There wasn’t sooner or later within the NFL I wasn’t excessive on a tablet after my rookie 12 months,” Olivea mentioned.

The Chargers minimize Olivea whereas he was in rehab, and he by no means performed one other NFL sport. Olivea ultimately performed for 2 groups within the now defunct United States Soccer League, although. 

However whereas Olviea could not recapture his NFL profession, he discovered sobriety. Olivea stayed clear for a number of years after his 89-day stint on the Betty Ford Heart in California, and in 2015 he re-enrolled at Ohio State to complete his diploma. 

In 2016, after eight years sober, the then 35-year-old Olivea graduated with a level in sports activities trade. 

“I checked out it like thrice,” Olivea mentioned of his Ohio State diploma. “I by no means thought I would ever see a school diploma with my title on it.”