An official cause of death has been revealed for former Wisconsin Badgers football player Jack Pugh, four months after his sudden passing at the age of 24.
According to a report from the Franklin County Coroner’s Office obtained on Tuesday, via People, Pugh died of acute bronchopneumonia – a bacterial or viral lung infection that causes severe inflammation in the airways.
Officials noted that the infection occurred as a consequence of cardiomyopathy, an underlying heart condition, and that Pugh also suffered from hepatosplenomegaly (an enlarged liver and spleen) at the time of his death on March 30.
The University of Wisconsin confirmed his passing on March 31, sending shockwaves through the college football community.
Pugh, a tight end from Hilliard, Ohio, played for the Badgers from 2021 through 2023, earning Academic All-Big Ten honors before stepping away from the team to focus on his mental health.
‘The Wisconsin athletics family is deeply saddened to hear of the passing of Jack Pugh,’ the school said in an official statement at the time.
An official cause of death has been revealed for former Wisconsin Badgers football player Jack Pugh, four months after his sudden passing at the age of 24
Pugh, pictured with his mom and dad, previously stepped away from the game in 2023
‘Jack was a positive light and brought a genuine spirit to our football program. More than that, he cared about people and was loved by his teammates and staff.
‘Jack proudly earned his degree from UW-Madison in 2025 and will forever be remembered and loved.’
Pugh publicly announced his medical retirement from football in December 2023, posting a candid message on social media reflecting on his struggles with depression and substance abuse.
‘My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up,’ Pugh wrote in his announcement.
‘Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness.’
He added: ‘In no way was football the root of these problems, but everything in my life had distracted me for so long to the point I didn’t want to be alive for years.
‘I never had prioritized my mental health all along, digging a deeper darker hole.’
Pugh concluded his retirement statement by thanking his coaches, teammates, and family for helping him ‘find a life I’m happy and proud of.’
Following the news of his death earlier this year, former Wisconsin teammate and New York Jets running back Braelon Allen paid tribute on social media, writing: ‘Protect your mental.’
