Ron Brace, Former Boston College, Patriots DT, Dies at 29

Former Boston College and New England Patriots defensive tackle Ron Brace died at the age of 29, Kevin Duffy of MassLive.com confirmed Sunday.

Al Washington, Eagles special teams coordinator and a former teammate of Brace, tweeted his thoughts:

AJ Brooks, Brace's teammate at Boston College, shared his thoughts via Facebook:

Brace's cause of death has not been disclosed.

"We were deeply saddened to hear the news this morning of Ron Brace's death," the Patriots said in a statement. "Seven years ago tomorrow (4/25/09), we drafted Ron after his standout career at Boston College. During his Patriots career, the Springfield native was always eager to volunteer and give back in our communities, especially when those community initiatives were held in Western Mass. It is difficult to believe that someone so young and in the prime of his life is no longer with us. Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ron's family, friends and the many former teammates who will mourn Ron's passing."

He was a second-round pick (40th overall) in the 2009 NFL draft. In four years with the Patriots, he accumulated 39 tackles and a forced fumble in 39 games. He was cut by the team in December 2012 and signed with Washington in February 2013, though the Redskins released him before the 2013 season began.

In four seasons at Boston College, Brace recorded 85 tackles (including 22 for loss) and five sacks.