31-Year-Old Former Dallas Cowboys Tight End, Gavin Escobar, Tragically Passes Away in a Climbing Accident

Today is a sorrowful day for NFL fans. Former Dallas Cowboys tight end and Long Beach firefighter Gavin Escobar is no more. Escobar lost his life in a tragic climbing accident on Wednesday, with fellow climber Chelsea Walsh succumbing to the same fate. Although the area faced some light showers earlier that day, officials have not listed it as a significant factor in the accident.

Escobar had only recently started as a firefighter in Long Beach, California, joining the force in February this year. Per the Instagram post by the Long Beach Fire Department, Escobar has a wife and 2 children.

Escobar was the Cowboys 2nd round pick in the 2013 Draft and played with them for 3 seasons. Despite being used as a reserve, he had a 30/48 for 333 yards, 8 touchdowns, and only a single fumble in 62 games. 

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They rarely used Escobar in his rookie season. And ends up having only 9 receptions for 134 yards and 2 touchdowns to his name. His second season saw him remain a backup, but James Hanna soon passed him on the depth chart. He finished his second season with 9 receptions for 105 yards and 4 touchdowns, primarily used on the special teams, or as a red zone target. 

Escobar remained a third-string tight end for his third season. He could only manage 8 receptions for 64 yards, before suffering a season-ending injury, tearing his Achilles tendon. Although he made a quick recovery, Geoff Swaim passed him on the depth chart, dropping him down on the pecking order. 

Escobar remained a core part of the special teams, returning to the backup TE role and Swaim suffered an injury, finishing the season with 4 receptions for 30 yards and a single touchdown.

Gavin Escobar’s journey after 3 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys

After his stint with the Cowboys, Escobar signed with the Kansas City Chiefs, being released 6 months later for not being able to progress on the depth chart. A year later, he signed with the Baltimore Ravens, but they released him a month later. 

In January 2018, he signed with the Cleveland Browns on a reserve/future contract. But this stint lasted only 4 months. A few days later, though, he signed with his last NFL team, the Miami Dolphins. The Dolphins released Escobar 5 months later. Only to resign him a few days later, and then again release him that same month.

A brief stint in the newly formed Alliance of American Football followed his NFL career. Wherein he signed with the San Diego Fleet. He caught 14 passes for 142 yards before they disbanded the league due to bankruptcy. 

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