Jamil Merrell, a former team captain for the Rutgers University football program who later pursued a career in both professional football and coaching, has died at the age of 36, according to his twin brother, Jamal Merrell.
"Before this moment, he looked at us with peace and said, 'It's time for me to level up, and everything down here for me is complete,'" Jamal wrote.
Jamal went on to pay tribute to his brother's character, describing a man of deep loyalty, honesty, and selflessness. "He loved with his whole heart. He kept it real no matter who you were. He would give you the shirt off his back, tell you the truth even when it was hard to hear, and stand beside the people he loved no matter what," Jamal wrote.
In his tribute, Jamal reflected on what it meant to lose the person who had been his closest companion from birth. "From the very first heartbeat we shared, we've been side by side. We entered this world together, and it's hard to imagine walking through it without you," he wrote. He also praised his brother's resolve in his final days, saying Jamil "never complained" and "never quit," describing him as "a true soldier" and "a true warrior" who "fought with everything he had until your very last breath."
In his senior season, Jamil and his twin brother Jamal—a linebacker—were both voted team captains, alongside quarterback Gary Nova and wide receiver Brandon Coleman. The twins became just the second pair of brothers to simultaneously hold the captaincy in the program's history.
Following his college career, Jamil signed up with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent and played in the Arena Football League. He also served as an assistant coach at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, Delaware.
"Watching you fight has been one of the most courageous things I've ever witnessed," Jamal wrote in his post. "Rest easy, Twin. Your work here is done. You finished your race with honor, strength, and faith."