According to several of his Ohio State teammates, former offensive tackle Shane Olivea passed away this morning at the age of 40, though cause of death is unknown at this time.
The 6-foot-5 and 310-pound Olivea came to Columbus from Cedarhurst (N.Y.) Lawrence, where he was a two-time all-state selection and honorable mention USA Today All-American.
Olivea was a three-year starter for the Buckeyes from 2001-03, earning All-Big Ten honors during his junior and senior seasons. He also helped the program capture the national championship with a win over Miami (Fla.) in the 2003 Fiesta Bowl.
A seventh round pick (No. 209 overall) of the then-San Diego Chargers in the 2004 NFL Draft – when Ohio State set school and draft records with 14 overall selections – Olivea started 57 games for the franchise over the next four seasons.
Olivea asked the Chargers for his release in 2008 in order to deal with his addiction to painkillers, on which he spent almost $584,000, and checked into a treatment center that spring. He spent 89 days in the facility in order to get clean and then signed with the New York Giants.
After injuring his back in training camp, Olivea was placed on injured reserve and later released by the Giants. He then played for the Florida Tuskers and Virginia Destoryers of the short-lived United Football League, but was unable to make it back to the NFL.
Olivea reenrolled in classes at Ohio State in 2015 in order to finish his degree in sport industry. He graduated in December 2016 after completing 11 courses and hoped to become a coach.
“I feel I have an ability to connect with kids,” Olivea told The Columbus Dispatch. “I’m young at heart. Being around young people keeps you young. I feel there's such a need to teach some of these kids how to properly play and teach technique.”
Sadly, Olivea is the second member of the Buckeyes' 2002 starting offensive line to pass away in the last six months, joining former left tackle Ivan Douglas, who died in October due to complications from COVID-19. He was just 41 years old.
Be sure to check out our new message boards, Buckeye Forums. We'd love to have you part of the conversation during the season.
More must-reads: