Former Dallas Cowboys tight end and second-round draft pick Gavin Escobar has been found dead.
According to Tim Stelloh of NBC News, 31-year-old Gavin Escobar and another rock climber were found dead after they fell from a “significant height” on a Southern California mountain on Wednesday, officials confirmed on Thursday.
As noted by Stelloh, Escobar and 33-year-old Chelsea Walsh were climbing at Tahquitz Rock — a popular rock climbing destination just outside of Los Angeles — when they fell, Riverside County Sheriff’s Sgt. Brandy Swan said.
Swan said their deaths appeared to be a “complete accident.”
According to Stelloh, there was a report of two injured climbers as early as Wednesday afternoon. The two were confirmed dead when firefighters were unable to recover their bodies.
“The Cal Fire/Riverside Fire Department said Wednesday that it responded to a report of two injured climbers at Tahquitz Rock at 12:25 p.m,” said Stelloh. “Firefighters who found the pair in a remote area and pronounced them dead were unable to recover their bodies, Swan said. A sheriff’s mountain rescue team dispatched to Tahquitz Rock completed the operation at about 8 p.m.”
Escobar Served as Firefighter Following NFL Career
A spokesman for the Long Beach Fire Department also confirmed Escobar’s death at Tahquitz Rock. Escobar had begun working at the fire department this year.
“Prior to being a Long Beach Firefighter, Gavin Escobar played professional football for the NFL, where he spent most of his time with the Dallas Cowboys,” LPFD said on Twitter. “Firefighter Escobar leaves behind his wife and two young children.”
Escobar was a second-round draft pick of the Cowboys back in 2013, spending four seasons with the club before signing with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. However, Escobar would never play another down in the NFL after brief stints with the Cleveland Browns and Miami Dolphins shortly thereafter.
The San Diego State product appeared in 62 games with seven starts during his four-year NFL career. He finished with career totals of 30 receptions for 333 yards and eight touchdowns.
Gallup Nearing His Season Debut Following Torn ACL
As the Cowboys near their upcoming Week 4 matchup versus the Washington Commanders, Michael Gallup could finally make his season debut.
The veteran wide receiver hasn’t played since suffering a torn ACL in Week 17 of last season, but he’s on track to possibly return to the starting lineup this Sunday.
Via Patrik Walker of Cowboys.com:
“We’ve got a lot of games left to play, and I’m trying to be out there the whole time,” Gallup said on Wednesday, September 28. “… I saw [the Chris Godwin injury against Dallas], and that’s tough. It makes you think a little differently about your recovery. I’m just trying to avoid that, for sure.”
The 26-year-old receiver’s presence has been missed as the Cowboys have been forced to play with an inexperienced and unproven core of receivers. Dallas has leaned heavily on Noah Brown, Simi Fehoko and KaVontae Turpkin during the first three weeks of the season.
Gallup notes that it was his decision to sit out the team’s recent game versus the New York Giants. He stresses that there are no physical limitations as he prepares to play his first game in. nine months.
“No [physical] limitations, just gotta feel it out,” Gallup said. “It’s been real tough [not being out there], I’m not gonna lie. I don’t even know what to say. I wanna get out there so bad but, obviously, it’s a process.”
During his previous full season back in 2020, Gallup caught 59 passes for 843 yards and five touchdowns.
Considering Gallup is the team’s second-best receiver outside of CeeDee Lamb, Dallas will hope his return is sooner rather than later.
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Ex-Cowboys Second-Round Draft Pick Found Dead at 31: Report