Bobby Roundtree has tragically lost his life at the tender age of 23. Illinois announced Roundtree’s death on Friday.
The former Illinois defensive lineman was paralyzed in a 2019 swimming accident ahead of his third season with the team. He suffered a spinal cord injury in May of 2019 after he jumped off a boat and into the intracoastal waterway while swimming with others.
Then-Illinois coach Lovie Smith said that Roundtree was “exactly what you want in a student-athlete.”
Roundtree last posted a video of his rehab on July 12.
Before the injury, Roundtree was a standout defensive end on Lovie Smith’s team, having had four sacks in 2017, and boosted that total to 7.5 in 2018, which was a part of his 13.5 tackles for loss on the season.
