Former Oregon Ducks and NFL defensive tackle Junior Siavii dies at 43
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According to a report by The Kansas City Star, former Oregon and NFL defensive tackle Junior Siavii has died at the age of 43.
Siavii was in prison awaiting trial on multiple charges when he was found unresponsive in his cell around 2:35 p.m. Thursday at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth, per the report. He was reportedly treated by medical staff at the prison before he was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to Anna Armijo, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons spokeswomen, no harm was done to prison staff or other inmates.
Siavii was awaiting trial for charges of drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession. In 2019, Siavii was arrested on suspicion of illegal firearm possession during a struggle with police officers in Independence, Kansas.
A criminal indictment then named Siavii as part of a methamphetamine drug trafficking conspiracy in western Missouri. He then was charged along with eight other people.
Siavii was born in American Samoa, where he attended high school before moving to the United States and eventually playing college football at the junior college level.
After playing at Dixie State Junior College and Butte Community College, he played two seasons at Oregon. The 6-foot-5, 320-pound Siavii registered 58 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 3.5 for losses, three pass deflections and one fumble recovery during his two seasons in Eugene.
The Kansas City Chiefs drafted Siavii with the 36th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. He played two seasons in Kansas City (2004-05) before finishing his career with the Dallas Cowboys (2009) and the Seattle Seahawks.
Contact Register-Guard sportswriter Antwan Staley at astaley@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @antwanstaley.
This article originally appeared on Register-Guard: Junior Siavii, former Oregon Ducks and NFL defensive tackle, dies at 43
