Former Iowa Hawkeyes football player Cody Ince has died at 23

Former University of Iowa offensive lineman Cody Ince, who was engaged to be married after retiring from football, was found dead at 23 on July 15 at his home in Wisconsin.

Ince's cause of death was not given, but his obituary noted that he died "unexpectedly" at his home in Grantsburg. Ince, who was an honorable mention All-Big Ten selection in 2020, is survived by his fiancée, Olivia Tucker, parents Marty and Tammy, and sister Carly.

Longtime Hawkeyes head coach Kirk Ferentz remembered Ince in a statement shared on the Iowa football Twitter page.

“I am incredibly sad to hear about Cody Ince’s sudden passing,” Ferentz said. “Cody was a tremendous young man, valued teammate and contributor to our program.

"He loved football, fishing and hunting, and believed in the importance of family and friendships," he continued. "Cody was just beginning this next chapter of his life and was about to be married.”

Ince played in 29 games, starting 10 of them, during his career from 2018 through 2021. Injuries caused him to retire last year before he could embark on a potential NFL career, according to The Athletic.

“Mary and I are heartbroken for his fiancée, his family and all his friends who knew and loved him," Ferentz said. "All of us in the football program — his coaches and teammates — are mourning his loss."

Ince's former Iowa teammate, wide receiver Tyrone Tracy Jr., remembered his friend in a comment on Ince's obituary page.

"I have had the honor of knowing and playing with Cody while I was at the University of Iowa," he wrote. "He was not only a great teammate but an amazing person! Always smiling and cracking jokes but he took his job on the field personally and I loved that about him.

"He used to always bring in deer jerky or sunflower seeds and he made sure I got some every time. It’s the little things that I will remember! Thank you Cody for being such an amazing person and friend!"

This article was originally published on TODAY.com