Reported missing the past several days in his hometown of Jacksonville, Fla., 2010-13 Notre Dame standout nose tackle Louis Nix III was found dead on Saturday.
The 29-year-old Nix’s car was pulled from a pond not far from his apartment complex, with confirmation from his mother to Ben Becker, an anchor/reporter for the CBS/FOX affiliate in Jacksonville (Nix’s hometown) who has been in contact with her the past couple of days. Nix reportedly has not been seen since Tuesday.
In a tweet posted by Becker a day earlier he wrote: “When I asked Nix's mother do you think he is in danger she said, ‘Yes. This is out of the normal for him.’”
Last Dec. 8, Nix had been shot outside a Jacksonville gas station while he was putting air into his car tires. He reported that the bullet ricocheted off his sternum and into his lung, requiring surgery.
Per Becker in another tweet: “Nix mother says she does not believe this is related to the robbery attempt. However since then, Nix didn’t like going anywhere and watched his surroundings. She doesn’t believe he had any enemies.”
Becker added that Nix and his mother spoke most recently on Monday (Feb. 22) in which she requested he take his brother to work, which he did.
A fan favorite with his outstanding play and gregarious personality that included his own “Irish Chocolate” moniker, Nix was a dominant force in the middle of the 2012 Notre Dame defense that ranked No. 1 and propelled the Fighting Irish into the BCS Championship versus Alabama, where it lost 42-14.
With his powerful 6-3, 326-pound frame, Nix occupied multiple blockers and helped open pathways for linebacker Manti Te’o to win multiple national awards. The 10.3 points per game allowed by Notre Dame during the 12-0 regular season were the fewest permitted by the Irish in 32 years.
When Nix was sidelined in the Pitt game that November after having spent the week in the infirmary with an illness, the Irish fell behind 20-6 without his presence. When inserted at less than 100 percent in the second half, Nix instantly rejuvenated the defense. The Irish tied the score at 20 in regulation time and won in the third overtime, 29-26.
A knee injury slowed and eventually sidelined Nix during his 2013 senior season but he was still selected in third round (83rd overall) by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. He played for the Texans, New York Giants (2015), and was with the Washington Football Team offseason squad and Jacksonville practice team in 2016 before getting released in 2017.
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