Texas Longhorn Football Player Jake Ehlinger Died Of Accidental Overdose Of Drugs Laced With Fentanyl, Family Says
AUSTIN, Texas (CBSDFW.COM) - The family of University of Texas student and Texas Longhorns linebacker Jake Ehlinger says the 20-year-old's death on May 6 was due to an accidental drug overdose, Thursday, Oct. 21.
The Ehlinger family said in a statement they learned Jake accidentally overdosed from what's believed to be the prescription anti-anxiety medication Xanax laced with fentanyl.
These kinds of counterfeit pills have been seen increasingly in Texas and nationwide.
The Ehlinger family statement said, "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."
Ehlinger joined the Longhorns in 2019 after playing high school football at Austin Westlake High School.
He did not play in his two seasons at Texas after arriving as a walk-on.
His brother Sam Ehlinger, former star UT quarterback, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the sixth round of the NFL draft days before Jake died.
Jake was in attendance.
Sam and Jake's father, Ross Ehlinger, died of a reported heart attack during the Escape from Alcatraz triathlon in San Francisco in March of 2013.