LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Darren Drozdov, a former University of Maryland football star who had a three-year NFL career before finding fame in professional wrestling until a devastating in-ring tragedy ended his career, died on June 30, Friday. He was 54.

Drozdov died of natural causes, according to World Wrestling Entertainment. His family sent a lengthy letter to the professional wrestling organization in which they verified the sad news and paid respect to the adored sportsman.

The statement said, "Darren, affectionately known as 'Droz,' was involved in a tragic ring accident while wrestling for the WWE in 1999 that rendered him a quadriplegic. Nevertheless, Droz maintained a championship mindset and lived every day to the fullest, even though he was unable to move from the neck down for the past 24 years. His own words sum up his relentless positivity in the midst of adversity: 'There is always another day. Just because I'm paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair doesn't mean my life is over. I've learned to live again, and my life is far from over."

The family went on to praise WWE for treating him like family, for supporting Daren, and for ensuring he "always had the proper care and treatment needed to live in his condition over the past 24 years," as reported by ETonline.

The WWE payss homage to Drozdov

Drozdov was described as "a devoted son, brother, and friend who had always put others first, especially his family." The WWE paid homage to Drozdov, who was described as "an imposing force in the ring," on their website.

"Darren Drozdov became a notable figure in WWE, known to fans as both Puke and Droz during his time as an in-ring competitor," the statement read. "Drozdov was a gifted athlete before coming to WWE, playing football at the University of Maryland before stints in the NFL with the New York Jets, Philadelphia Eagles, and Denver Broncos," as per reports.

'May he finally have peace & comfort'

As soon as news of Droz's demise aired, many current and former WWE stars expressed their grief.

Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson took to Twitter and wrote, "Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away. Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother."

Matt Hardy wrote, "Saddened to hear about the passing of Darren Drozdov. Darren was a great guy who was always full of life & laughs. #RIP Droz." Marc Mero wrote, "Very sad to hear former WWE Superstar "Droz" Darren Drozdov has died. He was an amazing man with a great attitude. His own words sum up his relentless positivity in the midst of adversity: ‘There is always another day. Just because I’m paralyzed and stuck in a wheelchair, doesn’t mean my life is over. I’ve learned to live again, and my life is far from over.’"