Las Vegas Raiders star Maxx Crosby has posted an emotional tribute to former teammate Josh Mauro following his shock death at the age of 35.
Mauro, an English-born defensive lineman, passed away on April 23, according to a public statement shared by his father Greg this week. No cause of death is known at this time.
‘With many tears and broken hearts, yet anchored in the unshakable certainty that our precious Josh Mauro is now healed and made new – living in the presence of the Lord – we humbly covet your prayers as our family walks through the devastating loss,’ the statement read.
It added that Mauro ‘breathed his last breath on this earth and his first breath in heaven.’
Over the course of his seven-year career in the NFL, Mauro and Crosby were briefly teammates with the Oakland Raiders in 2019.
And Crosby, still a defensive star for the Raiders in Las Vegas, paid a moving tribute to Mauro that he posted on X.
Maxx Crosby made an emotional tribute to former teammate Josh Mauro following his death
Former NFL defensive end Mauro passed away on April 23, his family announced this week
He said: ‘Damn I can’t believe I have to do this right now. I’m sick to my stomach to be honest. But my guy Josh Mauro just passed away recently.
‘Damn bro, I really don’t have words. I love you, bro, and I wish I could’ve done more for you. I wish I could’ve been there for you. It’s just tough man.
‘Sometimes you don’t talk as much and everybody’s got their own s*** going on and you could lose contact at times – but I’ll say this man, Josh I love you bro and I know you had my back since day one. You were the first and probably only vet to text me when I got drafted.
‘We came from the same area in Texas… I had known and admired who you were from afar for a long time – somebody I looked up to coming up in Texas. I cannot believe you’re gone, I truly can’t.
‘Your family, your brothers, your mom, love y’all… Every time I had something going on, even if I was wrong, you always jumped in my defense.
‘We all have our battles man and you never know what people are going through. I wish I could just talk to you one more time. It f***ing breaks my heart.
‘I love you though, bro. You were hilarious and a great human being. I just wish I could’ve been there for you. I love you bro. Rest in peace.’
Born in St. Albans near London, Mauro moved to the United States when he was three years old, growing up in Texas. After emerging as a standout talent in high school, he played college football at Stanford University.
Mauro (No. 97) and Crosby (No. 98) were teammates with the Oakland Raiders during 2019
Mauro had NFL spells with the Steelers, Cardinals, Giants, Raiders and Jaguars in his career
Mauro wasn’t selected in the 2014 NFL Draft but was later signed as an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers.
However, his stint with the Steelers was extremely brief with Mauro released during the team’s final roster cuts. He ultimately landed with the Arizona Cardinals where his professional career truly began.
Mauro spent the majority of his career in Arizona, playing four seasons with the Cardinals from 2014 to 2017 before returning for a second stint from 2020 to 2021.
He established himself as a rotational defensive lineman and occasional starter. In the 2016 season, he started 13 games and recorded a career-high 42 tackles.
He also enjoyed stints with the New York Giants in 2018, the Raiders in 2019 and the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2020, before finishing his career back with the Cardinals following the 2021 season.
