{"id":814719,"date":"2026-03-16T04:20:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-16T04:20:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/814719\/"},"modified":"2026-03-16T04:20:26","modified_gmt":"2026-03-16T04:20:26","slug":"former-buccaneers-and-cfl-player-dead-at-33-years-after-quitting-football-over-health-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/814719\/","title":{"rendered":"Former Buccaneers and CFL player dead at 33 – years after quitting football over health concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

By ISABEL BALDWIN, US ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR<\/a> <\/p>\n

Published: 14:38 EDT, 15 March 2026 | Updated: 15:18 EDT, 15 March 2026 <\/p>\n

Cameron Ontko, a former professional football player who briefly took his game to the NFL, died suddenly at the age of 33.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The former linebacker passed away on March 7. His\u00a0mother, Brenda Boulton, indicated his cause of death as a ruptured ulcer in a social media post.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Cal Poly mourns the loss of former linebacker Cameron Ontko,’ his alma mater wrote in a statement shared on social media. ‘Our thoughts are with his family, friends, and former teammates.’<\/p>\n

Ontko tried to make it in the NFL, participating in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers<\/a>‘ rookie minicamp before playing three years in the Canadian Football League.<\/p>\n

He walked away from the sport in 2018 at the age of 26, citing concerns for his mental and physical health.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Ohio native started his football career at collegiate level, first playing for Wisconsin<\/a>, playing two seasons with the Badgers.<\/p>\n

\"Cameron <\/p>\n

Cameron Ontko, a former professional football player, died suddenly at the age of 33<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The former linebacker (No. 4) played three years in the Canadian Football League<\/p>\n

After spending the majority of his time on the defensive scout team, Ontko transferred to Cal Poly, a Big Sky Conference (FCS) school based in San Luis Obispo, California, in 2012.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In 35 games with the Mustangs, Ontko tallied 257 total tackles, 15 tackles for loss, seven pass knockdowns, two sacks, and two interceptions.<\/p>\n

However, his performances for Cal Poly were not enough to convince any team to select him in the NFL Draft.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Instead, he participated in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp in May 2015 in an attempt to earn a spot on the roster or practice squad.\u00a0However, his attempt to make it to the NFL was unsuccessful.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Yet, undeterred, Ontko took his talents to Canada where he\u00a0played 29 games over three seasons in the CFL for the Calgary Stampeders (2015), BC Lions (2016) and Saskatchewan Roughriders (2017).\u00a0<\/p>\n

When announcing his retirement in 2018, Ontko cited\u00a0concerns over the long-term effects of hits to the head on retired football players.<\/p>\n

In his social media statement at the time, Ontko included a link to an article by\u00a0Hamilton Spectator reporter Steve Buist that examined the long-term effects of concussions on a number of former CFL players.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"The <\/p>\n

The Ohio native (right) participated in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie minicamp in 2015\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Ontko <\/p>\n

Ontko started his college career at Wisconsin before transferring to Cal Poly\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘The disturbing differences found between the players and controls throughout the various forms of testing suggest strong evidence of a link between football, repeated hits to the head and long-term effects on the brain,’ the story read.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘The findings raise very serious concerns about the future health prospects of former football players.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is a progressive, fatal neurodegenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma, such as concussions or sub-concussive blows.<\/p>\n

It has come under great scrutiny within the football community, including the NFL, in recent years with many former players being diagnosed posthumously with the disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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