Sportsnaut
Following his tragic passing on Sunday, some of Nick Mangold’s former New York Jets teammates and coaches remember the legendary Gang Green lineman.
A couple of weeks ago, seven-time Pro Bowler Nick Mangold revealed that his two-decade-long battle with chronic kidney disease had led to him being put on dialysis and in need of a life-saving kidney transplant. Unfortunately, his pursuit of the replacement organ went unfulfilled, and the organization revealed his tragic passing this weekend at just 41 years old.
The center was the 29th overall pick in the 2006 NFL Draft and played all 11 of his seasons in the league with the Jets. Earning Pro Bowl honors seven times and first-team All-Pro honors twice. At Ohio State, he was a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2005. The former team captain also went into the OSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2023.
He was a beloved member of the team from 2006 to 2016 and left a lasting impression on many of his former teammates and coaches. Following his passing, several of them spoke out publicly about how much they loved the future Hall of Famer.
Rex Ryan mourns the loss of his former player Nick Mangold following his death from kidney disease. pic.twitter.com/xhpJJ0yue3
— ESPN (@espn) October 26, 2025
During ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown, his one-time coach Rex Ryan broke down on air, explaining how good a person Mangold was. In remembering him, he told a story of when most knew he was going to be fired after the 2014 season, despite dealing with a serious injury, Mangold told the coach he wanted to play one more time for him in their season finale.
“We lost a good man today,” Mark Sanchez wrote in a post on X. “I know Nick Mangold will be a Hall-of-Famer, but there’s more to his story than his accomplishments on the gridiron. He was more than a teammate. He was my big brother who introduced me to the NFL. He showed me the ropes. He was my friend and confidant.
“He was a role model and a great father to his children and husband to his wife. Our hearts are heavy. We will miss you. Rest easy, amigo. I love you, big fella.”
"This is a sad day for Jets Nation and especially for all those who knew and loved Nick Mangold."@BartScott57 remembers his teammate, Nick Mangold:
➡️ @McDonalds pic.twitter.com/1UAOTPIqRq
— Jets Videos (@snyjets) October 26, 2025
During the Jets’ pre-game show on SNY, defensive great Bart Scott remembered how the pair bonded despite being on opposite sides of the ball and how he nicknamed him “Fat Thor.” He also mentioned just how funny the legendary lineman was and how much fun they had working on Jets content together at the team facilities.
Lastly, on the SNY Jets show, Jets veteran Willie Colon mentioned how he pretty much signed with the team in 2013 because he wanted to play with...
