Jessie Lemonier, an outside linebacker who played seven games with the Detroit Lions in 2021, passed away. He was twenty-five.
In a statement released on Thursday, the Lions announced his passing and said they had confirmation from his family. They gave no information at all.
“Jessie was a model teammate and a wonderful young man who is gone far too soon,” the Detroit Lions stated. During this trying time, our prayers and thoughts are with his friends and family.”
Days before he was cut by the Los Angeles Chargers, Lemonier inked a contract to join the Lions practice squad prior to the 2022 campaign. On December 19, 2021, he had 17 tackles and 1 1/2 sacks; the other half came against Arizona.
Lemonier’s two seasons of collegiate play at Liberty University were interrupted by the Lions’ Twitter message. Hugh Freeze, the current coach of Auburn and a former coach of the team, called it later to inform it of the player’s passing.
The Lynchburg, Virginia-based institution released a statement saying, “The Liberty Athletics family is deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former Flames football great Jessie Lemonier.” “Jessie was loved by Flames Nation for being a fierce competitor on the gridiron and cherished by his coaches and teammates in the locker room.”
The Lions waived Lemonier in May, and Arizona claimed him. Before being cut this past summer, he trained during the offseason with the Cardinals. He was moved to the Birmingham Stallions after signing a contract in December with the USFL’s Houston Gamblers.
In the 2023 XFL Draft, Lemonier was chosen by the Arlington Renegades; however, he chose to remain in the USFL.
Following his time as a player at Florida’s Hialeah High School, Lemonier attended Ventura College for one season before moving on to Liberty, where he played for two seasons (2018–19) and assisted the program in making the move from FCS to FBS.
Lemonier won MVP in the 2019 Cure Bowl, capping his time at Liberty and assisting the Flames in winning their first-ever bowl game. Liberty became the third FBS team to win a bowl game in its inaugural season after defeating Georgia Southern.
With 20 1/2 sacks at the end of his Flames career, Lemonier was third in program history at the time. The Chargers signed him as an undrafted free agent.