Darren Drozdov, NFL player turned professional wrestler, dies at 54

Darren Drozdov, who had a short career as an NFL player and then became more famous as a professional wrestler, has died at the age of 54.

Drozdov played college football at Maryland and made the Broncos a defensive tackle in 1993, the only year he hit the field in the regular season. He also spent time with the Jets and Eagles, as well as in the CFL.

During the build-up to 1993, Drozdov gained a measure of notoriety when he threw a football during a nationally televised match. Drozdov explained to reporters that vomiting is a problem that he has no control over.

“I got sick a lot,” Drozdov said at the time. “I was a quarterback in high school, and I started throwing up on the back of the quarterback. I don’t have a lot of control there.”

After his professional football career ended, Drozdov’s bad stomach helped his career. He appeared in the wrestling documentary behind the mat Meeting and throwing up Vince McMahon in his office on command, with McMahon goading him and calling him “Puke Up”.

But Drozdov’s professional wrestling career was cut short when he suffered a severe spinal cord injury during a WWF match. When another wrestler criticized Drozdov, he fell on his head and broke two vertebrae. He never walked again.

Drozdov’s family released a statement today attributing his death to “natural causes.”