Former Washington standout Daniel Te’o-Nesheim dies at age 30

Sam Cooper
·College football writer
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scrambles to get away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, right, during the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scrambles to get away from Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Daniel Te’o-Nesheim, right, during the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 24, 2013. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)

One of the best pass rushers in University of Washington history has passed away.

KITV-ABC in Hawaii reported Monday that Daniel Te’o-Nesheim has died at the age of 30. The cause of death is not yet known, but it was confirmed by Washington and the two NFL teams he played for: the Philadelphia Eagles and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Te’o-Nesheim played at Washington from 2006 to 2009 and finished his career second in school history with 30 sacks. He was a two-time team captain and totaled 115 tackles, 46 tackles and eight forced fumbles. He was the team MVP in 2007.

Te’o Nesheim was drafted in the third round of the 2010 NFL Draft by the Eagles. He played one season in Philadelphia, appearing in six games, but was waived ahead of the 2011 season. At that point, he was signed by Tampa Bay and played three seasons for the Bucs. He started 26 games in Tampa, totaling 55 tackles and four sacks.

Te’o-Nesheim was born in American Samoa and lived in Washington as a child before attending high school ball at Hawaii Preparatory School in Kamuela, Hawaii, where he was a standout football player. He became the school’s head football coach in April.

The school released the following statement on Monday:

Hawai’i Preparatory Academy (HPA) was deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our friend, colleague, and alumnus Daniel Te’o-Nesheim. Daniel, a 2005 graduate of HPA, returned to his alma mater in August of 2015 as an assistant football coach and assumed the head coach position in May of 2017. He was also a member of our residential boarding program, serving as a dorm parent. HPA is working to support our students and community through this difficult time. We feel Daniel’s loss acutely in our HPA ‘ohana, and our hearts go out to his family and friends.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!