Former South Carolina Gamecock’s offensive lineman DJ Park has died. He was only 29 years old.
Park’s former offensive line coach, Shawn Elliott, announced the death of his former player. “Saddened to hear about the passing of former Gamecock OL DJ Park. DJ was an awesome individual with a huge heart. You will be missed my friend,” Elliott wrote on X.
Saddened to hear about the passing of former Gamecock OL DJ Park. DJ was an awesome individual with a huge heart. You will be missed my friend. pic.twitter.com/lOFGigifM0
— Shawn Elliott USC (@CoachSElliott) March 4, 2024
Park’s sister, Breanna, took to Facebook to remark on her brother’s passing.
“To KNOW DJ/Joseph Park was to LOVE him,” she wrote. “I could write a novel but I’ll just leave it at that for now. I’ll miss you forever but at least you can rest easy now.”
Recruiting services ranked Park among the top offensive tackles in the country before he joined the Gamecocks in 2013. He played all four years of his college career for South Carolina and was a stalwart on the offensive line for his final two seasons.
South Carolina Gamecocks offensive tackle D.J. Park (69) during action between Texas A&M and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina. Texas A&M wins a mild upset 52-28 over the Gamecocks. (Jim Dedmon/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Park’s high school coach, Kevin Roller, told The State that the former tackle had been dealing with health issues.
Park played briefly in the Canadian Football League’s (CFL) Toronto Argonauts after college.
