Ex-Ohio State lineman Shane Olivea dead at 40

Ohio State football mourns the loss of former offensive lineman Shane Olivea, who died on Thursday at the age of 40, according to multiple reports.

Ex-OSU great Bobby Carpenter mentioned Olivea's death on Twitter, and others have sent their condolences since then.

On the heels of two of my great friends (Buckeye Teammates) Birthdays.... Schlegs and Nuge

Woke to the sobering news that @OhioStateFB lost a great one this morning. Shane Olivea passed last night.

Shane played OT at OSU from 2000-2003. National Champ and All Big 10 pic.twitter.com/tP22OKuqEr
— Bobby Carpenter (@Bcarp3) March 3, 2022

Olivea's cause of death is unknown. He is the second former Buckeyes lineman from the early 2000s to die recently. Ivan Douglas, who started at left tackle on Ohio State's national championship team in 2002, died in October at 41.

Olivea first joined Ohio State in 2000 out of Cedarhurst, New York. He earned a starting role for the Buckeyes by his sophomore season and was integral to the team's offensive success during its 14-0 national championship run in '02.

Olivea was drafted by the San Diego Chargers in the seventh round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He started 57 games and played in 60 contests for the organization over four years at the right tackle position.

The player was also vocal about overcoming his addiction to painkillers. He spoke about the issue with the Columbus Dispatch in 2016, and how it prematurely ended his NFL career.

Olivea returned to Ohio State in 2015 to finish his degree.

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