Former Wisconsin Badgers Tight-End Jack Pugh Passes Away; Suffered From Depression and Substance Abuse

Jack Pugh, a former tight end for the University of Wisconsin Badgers football team, has passed away. The 25-year-old had stepped away from the game in 2023 to focus on his personal health and officially retired later that year.

Pugh was a four-star recruit out of high school and joined the Wisconsin football program as a member of the Badgers’ 2021 recruiting class. He focused on basketball during his first two years at Hilliard Bradley High School in Columbus, Ohio, before switching to football as a junior.

Jack Pugh Passes Away After Years of Struggling with Depression

Although he spent three seasons as a tight end for the Badgers, he’s only donned the redshirt once – in the November 2022 match against the University of Minnesota. Despite his limited experience, he was named in the Academic All-Big Ten that year, and as a highly-touted four-star recruit, who’s received offers from Michigan, Penn State, Michigan State, Maryland, and Minnesota, the expectations on Pugh were high, but health issues prevented his development.

He decided to forgo the 2023 college football season, citing personal and health-related issues. At the time, Pugh took to Instagram to reveal that he has been dealing with prolonged depression, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse for years.

“My physical health was not near perfect, but my mental health was the reason I decided to hang it up. Over years of prolonged depression and substance abuse, I decided I deserved a better life and to finally find happiness,” his Instagram post from the time read.

Eventually, he would graduate from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in personal finance. 

Pugh Switched from College Basketball to Football Before Joining the Wisconsin Badgers

Recruiting analysts considered Pugh to be one of the top basketball prospects in Ohio’s 2020 class. Though college coaches hadn’t offered him any scholarship offers as he was still in eighth grade, they were keeping a close eye on the Badgers’ sophomore.

In 2016, he reclassified into the 2021 class before moving from Ohio to San Diego, California, for a year to train with his uncle, Steve Wade, who ran an elite-level AAU basketball program called Cali Boost. Pugh played on the U-16 Adidas Gauntlet circuit, matching up against older prospects from the 2019 recruiting class.

Ultimately, basketball didn’t pan out as a college option for Pugh, but the footwork and coordination skills he acquired on the court apparently made him an intriguing college football prospect as a 6-foot-5 and 235-pound tight end. As it turned out, the decision to reclassify gave him the time he needed to take advantage of an extra year to learn the sport before moving on to the next level.

Following a positive junior season, when he caught 13 passes for 155 yards and one touchdown, Pugh received 24 offers in total. Wisconsin extended him a scholarship in December 2019. Pugh’s decision to join Wisconsin was influenced by his brother, Trey Pugh, who was a superback for the Northwestern Wildcats of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. In September 2017, Jack watched his older brother play against the Wisconsin Badgers, who defeated the Wildcats 33-24.

As a senior, Pugh earned first-team league honors with 16 catches for 240 yards and three touchdowns. In key games, he had six receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown against Olentangy Liberty, and four catches for 88 yards and two scores versus Olentangy Liberty.

The UW athletic department stated Pugh’s passing on March 31st.

The UW Athletic Department issued a statement about Pugh’s passing on March 31st, saying they are “deeply saddened” by the news, calling him a “positive light” and a “genuine spirit” of the college’s football program and “will forever be remembered and loved” by his teammates and staff.

Wisconsin Athletics provides comprehensive mental health services through its Sports Psychology program, including individual counseling, sport psychology consultations, outreach, and crisis intervention. The university supported Pugh’s 2023 decision to step away from the game to focus on his mental health.