Paul Duncan, Former Notre Dame Star And NFL Player, Dead at 35

Paul Duncan, a former Notre Dame offensive lineman who briefly joined the Denver Broncos as an undrafted free agent, died on July 16. He was 35. 

His wife, Ellen Duncan, confirmed his death in an Instagram post later that day. 

“Paul went into cardiac arrest while on a run in our neighborhood,” she wrote. “Today he was pronounced brain dead. We will have a medical examination to understand cause of death.” 

“His body will be donated to people in need of organs and to medical research,” Ellen Duncan added.

The medical examiner’s office in DeKalb County, Georgia, said that Duncan’s death is under investigation, E! News reported Saturday.

Paul and Ellen Duncan shared two daughters, Dillon, 6, and Sloane, 4. Paul Duncan’s obituary in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution said he loved being a father to daughters and “embraced the role of ‘girl dad,’ from building playgrounds in the backyard to doing hair before school.”

“Dillon and Sloane loved Paul’s impromptu dance parties in the kitchen and his adventures with them in the water, whether it was at the lake with family or at the pool with friends,” the obituary said. 

“Until his final day, he was a father, son, husband, and brother who appreciated good-spirited competition and games, from Euchre to Scrabble. Regardless of who won, he loved to end the day by kicking up his feet and smoking a cigar to celebrate the cheerful moments that were constants in his life,” the obit said.

Duncan played college football at Notre Dame from 2005 to 2009, according to the Broncos Wire.

He played 12 games as a senior before entering the NFL draft. He went undrafted in 2010 and signed with the Broncos as a free agent. He didn’t play any regular season games in the NFL during his brief stint. 

The Notre Dame football team mourned his death in a tweet:

“Our prayers go out to the family and friends of Paul Duncan. A great teammate, but more importantly a loving husband and father,” the tweet said.