AJ Simon was a talented football star and defensive end for the Albany Great Danes, an intercollegiate football team at the University of New York at Albany. Simon had shone during the team’s run in the 2023 FCS playoffs. He had previously played for the Bloomsburg Huskies, representing Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. At the end of the 2023 season, Simon declared for the 2024 NFL draft, hoping to make it in the professional game.
Born Amitral “AJ” Simon Jr. on December 2, 1998, Simon tragically passed away on April 17, 2024. He was only 25 years old and a week away from finding out if he’d be drafted. But what caused such a healthy and athletic young man with a promising life ahead of him to die?
How did AJ Simon die?
No cause of death for AJ Simon has officially been revealed publicly, but his online obituary confirms he passed away in his sleep. That prompted a lot of speculation on social media, notably X, that the 6′ 1″ tall, 260lb footballer had died from a heart attack.
Simon’s family set up a GoFundMe page in his honor, with much of the cash raised being used to ease the burden on them and offset the cost of his funeral. On the page, his sister, Dominique Simon, wrote, “He was a star on and off the field with an immense impact on the youth and community” and “His smile was contagious. His laugh and his presence would light up a room. He was at the pinnacle of his football career with the NFL draft ahead of him.”
May Amitral “AJ” Simon Jr. rest in peace.