Family: Texas linebacker Jake Ehlinger died of accidental overdose

The football community, as a whole, was shocked to learn in May that Texas Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger, the younger brother of rookie Indianapolis Colts quarterback Sam Ehlinger, was found dead off campus on May 6. 

According to Dave Wilson of ESPN, the Ehlinger family confirmed Thursday via a statement that Jake's death was caused by an accidental overdose. 

"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 reads. "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."

Ross Ehlinger, Jake and Sam's father, died of a heart attack while competing in a triathlon in 2013 at the age of 46. 

Jake spent two seasons with the Texas program but did not play over that time.