JACKSONVILLE, Florida – Former Notre Dame and NFL football player Louis Nix, who was reported missing earlier this week, was found dead on Saturday, family members told two Jacksonville television stations. He was 29 years old.
Nix’s family reported his disappearance on Wednesday to the police. After several days of searching, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office tweeted at 8 pm ET on Saturday that Nix had been located, but did not report on Nix’s condition. CBS / Fox affiliate Action News Jax reported that Nix’s mother confirmed that Nix had died. WJXT TV-4 reported Nix’s death through another family member.
According to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, Nix was last seen at 10 am ET on Wednesday, leaving his father’s residence in Jacksonville. Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly tweeted on Saturday morning asking the public for help in finding Nix.
Nix was injured in a December shootout while filling his car tires at a gas station near Jacksonville airport. He said on social media that he spent 10 days in the hospital and that a bullet bounced off his sternum and hit his lung.
Nix starred at Raines High School in Jacksonville and played three seasons at Notre Dame before being called up in the third round by the Houston Texans in 2014. Nix, a defensive tackle, never played a game for the Texans because of knee injuries and played only four games in 2015 for the New York Giants. He also spent time in practice squads with Washington and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2016.