Ex-Giants offensive lineman Mitch Petrus dies of heat stroke

LITTLE ROCK, ARK. >> Offensive lineman Mitch Petrus, a walk-on at Arkansas who went on to a three-year NFL career that included a Super Bowl win with the New York Giants, has died. He was 32.

Pulaski County Coroner Gerone Hobbs said Petrus died of heat stroke Thursday night at a North Little Rock hospital after working outside that day at his family’s shop near his hometown of Carlisle, which is about 35 miles (55 kilometers) east of Little Rock.

Like much of the country, Arkansas is in the grips of an intense heat wave. The heat index — the temperature it felt like — in the area where Petrus was working on Thursday was higher than 100 degrees (38 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

Petrus played tight end in high school before switching to fullback and then offensive guard for the Razorbacks. Houston Nutt, who coached Arkansas for 10 seasons, said Petrus took those changes in stride.

“He had this attitude of a little boy waking up for Christmas every day, every time he came to the field,” Nutt told Little Rock TV station KARK on Friday.

During his college career, Petrus played alongside Razorback greats Darren McFadden and Felix Jones and later earned all-Southeastern Conference honors.

McFadden told KARK that he was stunned by Petrus’ death.

“He was a joy to be around. He’d put a smile on anybody’s face, brighten up any room that he walks into,” McFadden said.

Petrus was drafted by the Giants in the fifth round in 2010 and got into 11 regular-season games his rookie year, with no starts.