Former 2010-13 Notre Dame defensive lineman Kona Schwenke died Sunday (April 22) at age from 25, from causes not yet revealed, in his hometown of Laie on the Hawaiian Island Oahu.
One of the first players to commit to Notre Dame and then first-year head coach Brian Kelly in his initial recruiting class in February 2010, Schwenke followed the path of fellow Hawaii natives Manti Te’o and Robby Toma, both of whom signed with the Fighting Irish the previous year.
Schwenke, who had originally intended to enroll at BYU, was ranked the No. 4 overall prospect in Hawaii by Rivals.com in that recruiting cycle. He played all four seasons at Notre Dame, including two starts for the 12-1 team in 2012 and seven as a senior in 2013 when he was credited with 23 tackles. His playing time increased his final season after injuries to future NFL picks Louis Nix III (third round) and Sheldon Day (fourth round).
"Kona meant a lot to everyone he came across,” Toma told Honolulu KHON2 sports director Rob DeMello. “If you needed help, Kona was always there. We were taught growing up to leave things better than you found them. Kona left Laie, Hawaii and Notre Dame better than he found it.
“The amount of people reaching out in support of Kona and his family is amazing and truly shows the amount of love people have for him. I always considered him as a brother and I am truly grateful for the time I got to spend with him growing up. He will always be with us and will always be missed.”
Because of a shortage of defensive linemen, Schwenke burned a year of eligibility as a freshman in 2010 when he was inserted the final five games, the last four won by Notre Dame to finish 8-5.
The next season in 2011 he was on course to be redshirted, but a one-game suspension to star lineman Stephon Tuitt led to Schwenke’s insertion at Purdue, and he then played in two other contests to lose a potential fifth year. In May 2014 he received his Arts & Letters degree in anthropology.
As an undrafted free agent, Schwenke spent the next three years either trying out or working as a practice squad player in in the NFL with Kansas City, New England, New York Jets, Oakland and Seattle, where he was waived in August 2016 after suffering a torn ACL. Last year he had a tryout in the CFL.
Most recently Schwenke participated in The Spring League, a developmental and pro football scouting event. During an April 8 showcase, two weeks prior to his death, he caused a fumble in a game against 2012 Heisman winner Johnny Manziel.
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