Former Dallas Cowboys TE Gavin Escobar Dies In Rock Climbing Accident; He Was Just 31

Former Dallas Cowboys tight end Gavin Escobar was announced dead on Thursday after suffering injuries related to a rock climbing accident. He was 31.

Escobar and a 33-year-old woman, Chelsea Walsh, were discovered at an Idyllwild hiking spot in California on Wednesday. The two reportedly fell while trying to scale a large rock.

Escobar played in the NFL from 2013-18, largely playing six seasons for the Dallas Cowboys. Escobar was largely under the wing of longtime Cowboys tight end Jason Witten. He recorded 30 catches for 333 yards and eight touchdowns in the six-year stretch with Dallas.

After his time in the NFL and a stint for the AAF (Alliance of American Football), Escobar joined the Long Beach Fire Department as a firefighter, starting as recently as February 2022. The department commemorated Escobar Thursday afternoon.

The Instagram post's caption read:

"It is with deep sadness that we announce the off-duty death of Long Beach Firefighter Gavin Escobar. Hired on February 5, 2022, Firefighter Escobar was assigned to Fire Station 3 on B-shift.

"Firefighter Escobar leaves behind his wife and two young children."

Escobar was drafted in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was a lauded tight end out of San Diego State University, playing for the Aztecs since 2009.

Rest in Peace