Albany Football Standout AJ Simon Passes Away at Age 25
The football community is mourning the loss of a rising star.
Amitral “AJ” Simon—a former defensive lineman for the University at Albany’s football team—died at the age of 25 on April 17, his school confirmed. No cause of death has been confirmed at this time.
“AJ was a tremendous young man and even better teammate throughout his time at UAlbany,” his former team wrote in a statement shared to X, formerly known as Twitter. “He was a role model both on and off the field, serving as a pillar to this program over the last two years.”
And in an homage to their university’s mascot, UAlbany added, “Forever a Great Dane.”
Originally from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, AJ began his collegiate career at Bloomsburg University before transferring to UAlbany in 2022 where he played for two years. A first-team All-CAA defensive end, AJ helped lead his school to the semifinals of the NCAA FCS playoffs in 2023.