- Jessie was an NFL player who played for the Chargers and Lions.
- Jessie had signed a deal with the USFL in late 2022.
- Jessie died at 25 on January 26, 2023.
Former NFL player Jessie Lemonier died unexpectedly on Thursday, January 26. He was 25 years old. Details about the linebacker’s cause of death have not been released. Jessie, who was just days away from his 26th birthday, spent years with different NFL teams as well as playing in other professional football leagues. Find out everything you need to know about the player here.
1. Jessie played in the NFL from 2020 until 2022
Jessie made his NFL debut in September 2020. He was signed by the Los Angeles Chargers during the NFL draft in April 2020. He alternated between the active roster and the practice squad throughout his first season, playing his first game in September 2020. After being waived by the Chargers in August 2021, he signed with the Detroit Lions, where he was placed on the active roster in October 2021. He was waived by the team in May 2022. He signed with the Arizona Cardinals, but was waived in August 2022. His older brother Corey, 31, was also an NFL player, who was signed to the San Francisco 49ers in 2013. He bounced around a few different teams before retiring in 2017.
2. Jessie signed a deal with the USFL before 2023
The NFL wasn’t the only league that Jessie played in. He was also drafted for the XFL with the Arlington Renegades for the 2023 season, but he later signed a deal with the Houston Gamblers in the USFL on December 31, 2022. The Gamblers traded him to the Birmingham Stallions.
3. He played college football for Liberty University
Before his NFL career, Jessie played for the Liberty Flames in 2018 during his junior year. He had transferred to the college from Ventura College, according to his page on the school’s sports website. He finished the season with 55 tackles. Before college, Jessie played for Hialeah High School in Florida.
4. His girlfriend is reportedly expecting a child
While many details about Jessie’s personal life have remained private, it has been made public that he and his girlfriend were expecting their first child at the time of his death, his agent Drew Smith told ESPN. Jessie had not shared the news that his girlfriend was pregnant on his Twitter account, which was his only social media.
5. The Lions mourned Jessie’s passing.
With the news of Jessie’s death, his former team shared a brief statement mourning his passing on Twitter. “We are shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of former Detroit Lion Jessie Lemonier. Jessie was a model teammate and wonderful young man who is gone far too soon. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends during this difficult time,” the team wrote.