The short life of Konrad Reuland came to a heartbreaking end on Dec. 12. The former Baltimore Ravens tight end passed away following emergency surgery for a brain aneurysm. The young man was only 29-years old.
"We lost a Raven today," said John Harbaugh, 54, breaking the news of Konrad Reuland's passing during a postgame news conference on Dec. 12, according to sources. The Baltimore Ravens head coach (and Konrad's former teammate) tried his best to hold back his sadness. "I just want to offer condolences to his family. We love Konrad Reuland. Every single guy in the locker room loves him." John read a psalm and dedicated it to the young man, saying, "That's for Konrad." The former NFL star suffered a brain aneurysm on Nov. 28 and underwent surgery a day later. His fans and family hoped that he would be able to recover from this tragedy, but sadly, that would not be the case. He passed away in his home.
Konrad played four games with the Ravens in the 2015-16 season, starting in one. He spent six seasons in the NFL with four teams, including the Indianapolis Colts, the San Francisco 49ers, the New York Jets and ultimately, the Ravens. He had 30 appearances during his brief career, making 12 catches for a total of 90 yards, according to USA Today. Before entering the NFL, the Mission Viejo, California began his football career at Notre Dame, playing two seasons (2006-07) at the school before transferring to Stanford in his home state. After finishing up his college career, Konrad went undrafted in 2011. He refused to give up, signing as an undrafted free agent with the Niners.
They cut him before the season, and he signed with the Jets. After New York put him on the injured reserve list in 2013, they waived him, allowing him to sign with the Colts. Indianapolis released him in training camp, and he took his talents to Baltimore. Sadly, he won't get another chance to live out his dream. How terribly heart-wrenching! Our thoughts are with Konrad's family, friends, fans and former teammates as they deal with this terrible loss.
