Former Vikings first-round pick Jeff Gladney passes away at 25

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Jalen Reagor, a former college teammate of Gladney at TCU, was the first to make a public statement about the 25-year-old's untimely death. 

The Minnesota Vikings drafted the Gladney with the 31st pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft. 

Gladney had recently signed with the Arizona Cardinals on March 17. 

In his rookie season with the Vikings in 2020, Gladney started 15 games, finishing with 81 tackles, three pass defenses, and a forced fumble. 

Gladney was indicted for a felony domestic violence charge last summer before being waived by the Vikings and sitting out the entire 2021 season. This March, he was found not guilty. 

"First and foremost, this has had a real impact on Jeff Gladney as a person," said Gladney's agent Brain E. Overstreet and Rodney Williams of the United Sports Group in a statement released after the verdict. "These situations have very real consequences for the young men involved. This has been a challenging time for Jeff mentally, spiritually and athletically. So, we applaud Jeff for having the courage to stand and fight for his freedom versus these false allegations. We further hope this will encourage other athletes in the future who have been falsely accused, blackmailed or persuaded to provide hush money to make these type of situations go away, to now take a stand and defend themselves as well."