Former NFL Pro Junior Siavii Found Dead In Prison Cell

The sports world is reeling after former NFL player Junior Siavii was found dead in his cell while in a Kansas prison.

On Thursday, the 43-year-old was found unresponsive at the U.S. Penitentiary at Leavenworth. Prison staff attempted life-saving measures before he was taken to a local hospital. He was pronounced dead shortly after. Very few details have been made public surrounding his death.

Siavii has been in federal custody since August 2019 after a dramatic showdown with law enforcement. He was spotted exiting a stolen vehicle, and when police confronted him, he resisted them. This ended in Siavii being tased and nearly shot. When one officer choked him unconscious, he was finally handcuffed. During the confrontation, Siavii had guns, marijuana, and methamphetamines on him.

He was being held at the prison awaiting trial for his role in an elaborate drug trafficking operation and possessing illegal firearms. Siavii was charged alongside eight other co-defendants. On December 17th, he was transferred to the medium-security prison in Leavenworth, where he would die less than a month later.

Siavii was drafted in the second round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. He eventually ended up on the Dallas Cowboys, where he played in 2009. After spending one season with the Seahawks in 2010, he retired from the league.