Former Cowboys TE Gavin Escobar Died While Rock Climbing

Former Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar died at the age of 31 this week after a rock climbing incident in California, according to the Palm Springs Desert Sun.

The six-year NFL veteran was one of two climbers found by firefighters Wednesday near Tahquitz Rock in the Idyllwild area of the San Bernardino National Forest. Local authorities said they were alerted about a climbing accident around noon involving two injured people who fell as they tried to climb a “rock face.” The call prompted a search-and-rescue effort which led to the discovery of two victims, whom the Riverside (Calif.) County sheriff’s coroner’s office later identified as Escobar and Chelsea Walsh, 33, per the Desert Sun.

A second-round pick out of San Diego State in 2013, Escobar played four seasons for the Cowboys, and recorded 30 receptions for 333 yards and eight touchdowns across 62 career games. He moved on to one-year stints with the Ravens and Dolphins in 2017 and 2018, respectively before retiring from football in 2019 following a season with the San Diego Fleet in the now-defunct Alliance of American Football. 

Recently, Escobar, a resident of Huntington Beach, Calif., had been hired as a firefighter in Long Beach. He joined the LBFD on Feb. 5. 

Escobar is survived by his wife and two children.