New York Jets legend Nick Mangold dies aged 41 while seeking kidney transplant
Nick Mangold, a hugely popular player during his 11-season career with the New York Jets, has died at the age of 41.Earlier this month, Mangold said he had been undergoing dialysis and needed a kidney transplant.He sought help from fans of the Jets and Ohio State, where he was a star in college.“In 2006, I was diagnosed with a genetic defect that has led to chronic kidney disease.After a rough summer, I’m undergoing dialysis as we look for a kidney transplant,” he wrote at the time.
“I always knew this day would come, but I thought I would have had more time.“Unfortunately, I do not have any family able to donate at this time, so this is why I’m reaching out to you, our NY Jets and Ohio State communities.I am in need of a kidney donor with type O blood.”Mangold was a first-round pick out of Ohio State for the Jets in 2006.He spent his entire NFL career with team, earning seven trips to the Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro twice before he retired in 2016.
During that time, the center anchored an offensive line alongside D’Brickashaw Ferguson that helped the Jets reach two AFC championship games.He is currently a nominee for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.Mangold’s toughness was widely admired and he missed only four games in his first 10 seasons in the NFL.“Nick was more than a legendary center,” Jets owner Woody Johnson said in a statement.“He was the heartbeat of our offensive line for a decade and a beloved teammate whose leadership and toughness defined an era of Jets football.
Off the field, Nick’s wit, warmth, and unwavering loyalty made him a cherished member of our extended Jets family.”Mangold was a huge favorite with fans, known for his long hair, beard, charitable work and outgoing personality.He was active on social media and was rarely seen without his backwards baseball cap.He was a regular visitor to Jets game after his retirement – he chugged a beer while being inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor in 2022 – and stayed in the area when his playing days were over, becoming an assistant coach for Delbarton High School in Morristown, New Jersey.“You get to mold boys into men and teach the game of football, but also teach them a little bit about life as you go along,” Mangold told the New York Post in 2024.
Rex Ryan, who coached Mangold at the Jets, was in tears as he remembered his former player on ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown,“It’s brutal,” Ryan said,“Such a great young man,I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets [from 2009 to 2014],I remember it was obvious I was getting fired, my last game, Mangold’s injured – like, injured – and he comes to me and says, ‘I’m playing this game.
’ And he wanted to play for me.”Hall of fame cornerback Darrelle Revis, who was Mangold’s teammate for eight years, paid tribute on X.“I was fortunate to have the opportunity to lace them up with you every Sunday,” Revis wrote.“I will miss you and forever cherish our moments in the locker room.Love you buddy.
”Mangold was married to his childhood sweetheart, Jenny, with whom he had four children, Matthew, Eloise, Thomas, and Charlotte.His sister, Holley, represented USA at the 2012 Olympics in weightlifting.When he announced his illness he paid tribute to his family, saying they had “been my rock every step of the way.This situation has reminded me how lucky I am to have such an amazing family, friends, and community behind me.”
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The passing of John Woodvine (Obituary, 13 October) reminded me of the time when four of us University of East Anglia students went to the Norwich Theatre Royal to see the Actors’ Company touring King Lear in June 1974.We were early and went for a something to eat at a newly opened “burger” style restaurant with booths and partitions so you couldn’t see who was at adjacent tables – a novelty at the time. The service was very slow and we were concerned that we would be late for the theatre.Suddenly a head appeared over the partition and said: “Don’t worry – they won’t start without me!” It was John Woodvine, who turned out to be the Earl of Kent and was the first to speak in the play. Needless to say we made it in time
The Guide #214: Sleep-inducing songs and tranquilising TV – the culture that sends us to sleep (in a good way)
How do you sleep at night? If you’re like Hannah, a recent subject of the Guardian’s My cultural awakening column, it’s to the sound of a rat whisking eggs. The series shares stories of people who made a significant life change thanks to a piece of popular culture, and in the case of Hannah, that meant curing insomnia by watching Ratatouille. Every night for the last 15 years, at home or abroad, she switches on the Pixar classic and, within minutes, finds herself dropping off, thanks to the film’s comforting, consistent soundscape. It’s so effective, in fact, she’s never even seen it all the way through.Hannah’s might be a bit of an extreme example, but her tale does touch on something universal: culture seems to play an increasingly important role these days in helping people nod off
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Late-night hosts dissected Donald Trump’s kingly behavior, from the destruction of the White House’s East Wing to his demand for payment from the justice department.“We have warned for years that Donald Trump is destroying American institutions,” said Seth Meyers on Wednesday evening, “but of course when we said ‘destroying’, we meant metaphorically speaking. We didn’t mean that he was literally destroying buildings.”“But I guess Trump heard that and thought, ‘On it.’ Because now he’s literally destroying the East Wing of the White House,” the Late Night host continued
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Stephen Colbert on Trump’s White House East Wing demolition: ‘So deeply unsettling’
Late-night hosts reacted to Donald Trump’s partial demolition of the East Wing of the White House for his proposed $250m gilded ballroom.“At this point, we’re nine months into this, you’d think it would be impossible for us to be shocked by Donald Trump,” said Stephen Colbert on Tuesday’s Late Show. “But give the man credit – every so often, he takes the time to attach the electrodes to our nipples. And then it feels like the first time.”Case in point: on Monday, as part of his White House renovation project to construct a gilded ballroom, Trump sent out a backhoe to rip off a part of the East Wing
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