he college football community is mourning the loss of former Iowa Hawkeyes offensive lineman Cody Ince, who died suddenly over the weekend at the age of 23. The obituary page for Ince notes that he died unexpectedly.

“I am incredibly sad to hear about Cody Ince’s sudden passing,” Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz said in a statement. “Cody was a tremendous young man, valued teammates, and contributor to our program. He loved football, fishing, and hunting, and believed in the importance of family and friendships.”

Ferentz added, “Cody was just beginning this next chapter of his life and was about to be married. Mary and I are heartbroken for his fiancee, his family, and all his friends who knew and loved him. All of us in the football program, his coaches and teammates, are mourning his loss.”

Tyrone Tracy, Jr., a running back and wide receiver who played for Iowa before transferring to Purdue, paid tribute to Ince on his obituary page.

“I have had the honor of knowing and playing with Cody while I was at the University of Iowa,” Tracy said.

“He was not only a great teammate but an amazing person! Always smiling and cracking jokes but he took his job on the field personally and I loved that about him. He used to always bring in deer jerky or sunflower seeds and he made sure I got some every time. It’s the little things that I will remember! Thank you Cody for being such an amazing person and friend!”

Ince was an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten player after starting the final six games of the Covid-19 shortened season of 2020. He played in 10 games the following season and started four, but ultimately retired from football after sustaining injuries.