Former Denver Broncos lineman Darren Drozdov, who pursued a career as a professional wrestler with WWE, passed away on Friday. He was 54 years old.
Drozdov’s family released news announcement statement, In it, he called Drozdov a person who “always puts others first.”
An excerpt from that statement read:
“(Drodov) was a devoted son, brother and friend who always put others first, especially his family. He was kind, generous and was always present for his people. He was our guiding light who guided our lives Illuminated by endless love and wonder. His smile was healing. His warmth, love and laughter were infectious. We could always turn to him for wisdom and solace and his absence left a huge hole in our family and our hearts. feels like. Everyone who knew Darren was a better person because of it. He taught everyone a lot about how to look at life: how to keep things in perspective, how to overcome adversity and how to show kindness to others. He wouldn’t want anyone to be sad at this time and he will. I want it to be a celebration of his life, all the great things he has done, fun, laughter , will be remembered for the great memories he shared with all.”
After playing college football at Maryland, Drozdov spent the 1993 season with the Broncos. He played in six games with the team, starting two of them. Drozdov received the nickname “Puke” when he vomited on a football during a preseason game that was nationally televised.
In 1998, Drozdov made his debut with WWE, then known as WWF. Drozdov claimed that he could vomit on command, which led him to wrestle under the names “Puke” and “Droz”. He teamed up with the Legion of Doom.
Drozdov suffered a career-ending injury in 1999 during a match with D’Lo Brown. Drozdov fell on his head after Brown attempted a powerbomb and fractured two vertebrae in his neck. The injury left Drozdov with quadriplegia. Drozdov allegedly had no malice Brown’s side after the injury.
After the injury, Drozdov worked as a writer and columnist for WWE.
Former WWE Superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson paid tribute to Drozdov in a post on Twitter on Friday.