Advertisement

Former Michigan football standout Craig Roh dies at 33 after battle with cancer

Former Michigan football defensive standout Craig Roh, who played for the Wolverines from 2009-12 in multiple positions on defense, died on Monday at the age of 33, according to a social media post from his wife on Wednesday.

His wife, Chelsea, announced the news on Craig's X account, saying he succumbed to Stage IV colon cancer after an 18-month battle. His family started a GoFundMe this morning to raise funds for Chelsea and their 2-year-old son Max, along with helping cover medical expenses. The fundraiser has raised over $32,000 in four hours since being shared. According to GoFundMe, Roh had been privately battling his advanced colon cancer diagnosis for the past year and a half, going through chemotherapy and clinical treatments.

Roh was a four-year starter for the Wolverines and set the record for the most consecutive starts in program history at 51 while moving between outside linebacker, defensive end, and defensive tackle. Roh did not miss a game while playing for the Wolverines over his four-year career and was an Academic All-Big Ten honoree in 2011 and voted as a freshman All-American by Sporting News in 2009. Roh played under two Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke and was a part of the Sugar Bowl-winning team in the 2011 season.

After Michigan, Roh signed with the Carolina Panthers as an undrafted free agent in 2013 before being released in August 2014. He then played in the Canadian Football League from 2015-21, playing for the BC Lions (2015-17), Winnipeg Blue Bombers (2018-19) and the Toronto Argonauts (2020-2021).

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Michigan football standout Craig Roh dies at 33