Former Ohio State defensive back Devan Bogard died in an apartment fire early Tuesday morning in Elyria.
According to the Elyria Chronicle, the Elyria Fire Department received a call before 3 a.m. about the fire. Bogard, 27, was found deceased inside.
Bogard was a member of Urban Meyer's first recruiting class at Ohio State out of Glenville High School in Cleveland. He was the first player in that 2012 class to earn the removal of his black helmet stripe, signifying full-fledged status on the team.
But Bogard's promising career was derailed by knee injuries in three consecutive seasons. He played in 22 career games for OSU, including six in the 2014 national championship season before he was injured.
Bogard then became a student intern in the strength and conditioning program under Mickey Marotti before graduating in December 2016 with a degree in sport industry.
This year, he was an assistant coach for the Elyria High School football team, coaching linebackers and leading the weightlifting program.
Interim Elyria Fire Department Chief Joe Pronesti told the Chronicle that the cause of the fire was not suspicious and was determined to be accidental. It apparently started near a couch in the living room. Pronesti said it's believed Bogard was in the bedroom when he was alerted about the fire and tried to escape.
