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Former Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee and defensive back Darius Butler gave emotional tributes to late former teammate Vontae Davis following news of his death on Monday's (April 1) live broadcast of the Pat McAfee Show.
“Vontae was an incredibly cool dude, good guy, nice guy, upbeat guy, energetic guy,” said McAfee, who was Davis' Colts teammate from 2012 to 2016. ” I think what we’ll remember him for is being an incredibly cool teammate in that locker room and being a guy that all of us enjoyed being around on a daily basis.
“… Literally, if you knew him you loved him and you enjoyed the hell out of him. And today’s been tough, it’s going to be tough, but it’s a nice perspective-putter to remind everybody to reach out to your people… I haven’t talked to him in months and obviously I’m never going to get to do it again.
“It’s f**ked up,” added Butler, who played alongside Davis as part of the Colts' secondary from 2012 to 2017 and also lives in the Miami area. “Thirty-five years old, birthday around the corner… He kind of lived his life to the beat of his own drum and it’s tough when you transition out [of the NFL] you’ve got to deal with life. You go so long living the dream… then when you go into real life… it’s tough.”
McAfee said that Butler revealed news of the former Pro Bowl cornerback's death to his co-hosts upon arriving at the studio Monday morning.
“We didn’t want to be the ones, we didn’t think it was right for us to be the people that kind of informed the world that one of our former teammates and friends had passed away,” McAfee said. “It just felt weird, so we’ve been just been trying to distract ourselves all show. It was a tough morning.”
Davis, 35, was reportedly identified as the male body found at the Southwest Ranches home of his grandmother, Adaline, on Monday (April 1), a source with knowledge of the situation confirmed to WSVN. Chester Frazier, who was a student-athlete at the University of Illinois with Davis and currently works as the assistant coach of the Illini men's basketball team, had previously reported Davis' death on his X account, but responded "me too" when another account wrote that they hoped the report was "a cruel joke."
"#Illinination we lost a great today!!! RIP TO @vontaedavis man nothing but good memories of that dude in school!!! Praying for the Davis family!!" Frazier wrote on his X account Monday.
Davis' cause of death has not yet been determined and police said no foul play was involved. The investigation into his death is ongoing.
Davis, the younger brother of former All-Pro tight end and Super Bowl champion Vernon Davis, was a two-time Pro Bowl selection during his 10-year NFL career, which abruptly ended after he removed himself from the Buffalo Bills' Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, stating that he was "done" at the time. The veteran cornerback issued a statement after the game confirming his retirement, which was met with criticism by some teammates and media members.
Davis was selected by the Miami Dolphins at No. 25 overall in the 2009 NFL Draft after a decorated collegiate career at Illinois, which included being a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2007 and 2008. The Washington, D.C. native spent his first three seasons with the Dolphins before being traded to the Colts, spending six seasons with the franchise, which included being selected to the Pro Bowl in 2014 and 2015.
"We are heartbroken by the sudden passing of former Dolphins CB Vontae Davis and extend our deepest condolences to his family & loved ones during this difficult time," the Dolphins wrote on their X account.
In November, Davis agreed to plead no contest to a reckless driving charge and prosecutors agreed to not move forward with the more serious charges -- including misdemeanor driving under the influence -- he initially faced. The former cornerback was ordered to pay fines and fees, medical bills for the victims injured during the incident and complete 50 hours of community service as part of the plea deal.
Photos obtained by TMZ Sports in February showed Davis asleep on the side of the Florida Turnpike prior to his recent arrest. The 35-year-old appeared to be unconscious on the pavement next to a Tesla vehicle with significant damage.
A witness told TMZ Sports that Davis remained asleep even after police approached him at the scene. Dash cam footage previously obtained by TMZ Sports showed Davis struggling to stay awake and slurring his speech while being questioned by officers in the back of a police vehicle.
The former cornerback was arrested on a misdemeanor driving under the influence charge. Davis told officers, "I was tired," when asked why he was found sleeping on the road and said he was coming from a club and had two mixed drinks prior to driving the vehicle.
Another person driving the vehicle struck by Davis' car was reportedly taken to a hospital to be treated for multiple injuries.