Past Lions linebacker Jessie Lemonier passes away at age 25; he last played in the USFL.

 

Jessie Lemonier, a former linebacker for the Detroit Lions, passed away on Thursday at the age of 25.

Regarding Lemonier’s passing, the team issued the following statement but did not offer any more information:

Following a standout career at Liberty, Lemonier signed with the Los Angeles Chargers in 2020 as an undrafted free agent. As a rookie, he played in six regular-season games and recorded two tackles.

The Lions signed him to their practice squad in October 2021 after the Chargers waived him during the 2021 preseason. He was then added to the active roster.

In all, Lemonier made seven appearances during the regular season with the Lions, starting two of them and totaling 1.5 sacks and 15 tackles.

During the 2022 preseason, Lemonier briefly played with the Arizona Cardinals; however, he was cut before the regular season began and failed to find employment with another NFL team.

Lemonier was chosen by the Arlington Renegades of the XFL in the November 2023 XFL draft, but he signed with the Houston Gamblers of the USFL last month.

After that, Lemonier’s rights were transferred to the Birmingham Stallions, and he was getting ready to play for them come April 2023, when the USFL season started.