D.J. Park, a former offensive lineman who played at South Carolina and briefly for the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts, has died, Gamecocks coach Shawn Elliott announced. He was 29.
Elliott was an offensive line coach for the Gamecocks when Park was on the team. He recently re-joined the program as a passing game coordinator.
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D.J. Park, #69 of the South Carolina Gamecocks, watches from the sideline during a game against the Vanderbilt Commodores at Vanderbilt Stadium on Sept. 1, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
“Saddened to hear about the passing of former Gamecock OL DJ Park. DJ was an awesome individual with a huge heart. You will be missed my friend,” Elliott wrote on X.
Breana Park also wrote of her brother’s death on Facebook, according to The State.
“To KNOW DJ/Joseph Park was to LOVE him,” she wrote. “I could write a novel but I’ll just leave it at that for now. I’ll miss you forever but at least you can rest easy now.”
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South Carolina Gamecocks offensive tackle D.J. Park, #69, during action between Texas A&M and South Carolina at Williams-Brice Stadium, Columbia, South Carolina, Aug. 28, 2014. (Jim Dedmon/Icon Sportswire/Corbis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Park was a standout football player for Dillon High School in South Carolina and was among the top 20 offensive tackles in the country when he joined the Gamecocks, according to 247 Sports.
He played for the Gamecocks from 2013 to 2017. He played each game in the 2016 and 2017 seasons before he left the game to pursue a professional career.
He signed briefly with the Argonauts in 2018.
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Park’s former high school coach Kelvin Roller told The State the former offensive lineman was battling health issues recently.
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