NEW (Mar. 1):
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Former Notre Dame and NFL player Louis Nix III has died after being missing for several days, but many questions linger about the circumstances of his death. Nix's mother Stephanie Wingfield told multiple news outlets in Jacksonville, Florida, that authorities said her son died but haven't been able to tell her how. Family members say his car was pulled out of a pond near his home on Saturday. In December 2020, he was shot in an armed robbery. Nix had received high praise during his time with the Fighting Irish. He was then drafted by the Houston Texans in 2014 but struggled to make an impact in the NFL due to injuries.
ORIGINAL POST (Feb. 28):
Former Notre Dame football player, Louis Nix, has died according to a statement from the university.Last week Nix was declared missing.
(You can read more from the university's statement below.)
NOTRE DAME, Ind. — University of Notre Dame football All-American Louis Nix III passed away in his hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, at the age of 29. The winner of Notre Dame’s Moose Krause Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, Nix led the Irish to the 2013 BCS National Championship Game.
During the Irish’s 2012 undefeated regular season, Nix was an impact player who helped anchor the defensive front. He started 11-of-13 games, and led all Notre Dame defensive linemen with 50 tackles. He ranked fourth on the team with 7.5 tackles-for-loss and added 2.0 sacks. Additionally, Nix posted a team-high five pass breakups and recorded five tackles (all solo) in BCS National Championship Game versus Alabama, including 2.0 TFLs against the Crimson Tide.
Following his All-American junior season, Nix entered his senior year on both the Maxwell and Bednarik Award Watch Lists. In his final season in South Bend, Nix started each of the first seven games in 2013, but then played (and started) only one of the final six games due to a knee injury. He recorded 27 tackles, including two behind the line of scrimmage, and added a pair of pass breakups.
Affectionately known as “Irish Chocolate” or “Big Lou,” Nix had a breakout sophomore season after not seeing any game action as a freshman in 2010. In his second season playing for the Irish, he started 11-of-13 games at nose guard, collecting 45 tackles, including 4.5 tackles-for-loss.
A four-star prospect, Nix chose to attend Notre Dame after a stellar high school career at Raines High School in Jacksonville, where he was tabbed a SuperPrep All-American and was selected to play in the Under Armour All-America Game.
A third-round pick in the 2014 NFL draft by the Houston Texans, Nix played three seasons in the NFL. He was on the 2014 roster for the Texans, before suiting up for the New York Giants (2015), Washington Football Team (2016) and Jacksonville Jaguars (2016).
In May 2014, Nix earned his Notre Dame degree in film, television and theatre from the College of Arts and Letters. He is survived by his parents Louis Nix and Stephanie Ancrum.