"The Philadelphia Eagles are deeply saddened to learn of Jerry Avant's passing today," the team said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with Jason, Stacy (Jason's wife) and the entire Avant family."
Jerry Avant was 51 years old.
Jason Avant was named the team's Ed Block Courage Award winner this past season for his ability to overcome a rough and dangerous childhood growing up in Chicago and be a role model for the young players on the team today. Avant is one of the unsung leaders in the locker room and uses the lessons he learned from his youth and passes them down as a mentor to young children today.
The former fourth-round draft pick out of Michigan has been a reliable third-down threat for the Eagles as 45 of his 52 career third-down receptions have converted first downs. Avant increased his catch total in each of his five NFL seasons. This past year, Avant had 51 grabs for 572 yards and a touchdown. For his career, Avant has 154 catches for 1,872 yards and nine scores. Avant was named to the USA Today All-Joe team in 2009. He was rewarded with a new five-year contract in the 2010 offseason.
