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Pittsburgh Steelers wide receivers coach Darryl Drake passed away suddenly at age 62 on Sunday, August 11, the team announced. As a result of Drake’s death, the Steelers made the decision to cancel all training camp sessions throughout the day.
“We are at a loss for words following Darryl Drake’s passing this morning. Darryl had such an impact on the players he coached and everyone he worked with throughout his entire career. He was a passionate coach and had a tremendous spirit toward life, his family, his faith and the game of football,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement.
“Our prayers and thoughts are with his wife, Sheila, his three daughters, his grandchildren and entire family during this difficult time.”
It was Drake’s second season with the team.
“Darryl was a close friend and had a tremendous impact on my coaching career,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said in a statement. “He was an amazing husband, father and grandfather, and it is difficult to put into words the grief our entire team is going through right now.
“Darryl loved the game of football and every player he ever coached. We will use our faith to guide us and help his family throughout the difficult time.”
All of the information we know about Drake’s passing can be seen below.
Darryl Drake Cause of Death: TBD
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Immediately following his death, the Pittsburgh Steelers have not officially announced a cause of death for the wide receivers coach. Darryl Drake had been a professional coach for 15 seasons and spent 21 seasons coaching at the collegiate level prior to making the leap to the NFL.
During his college coaching career, Drake made stops at Western Kentucky (1983-91), Georgia (1992-96), Baylor (1997) and Texas (1998-2003). In the NFL, he spent 9 seasons with the Chicago Bears (2004-2012) and five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals (2013-2017) before joining Mike Tomlin and the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Our deepest condolences go out to Drake’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult time.
