Darren Drozdov death: Dwayne Johnson speaks out after ex-Broncos DT's sudden passing

Darren Drozdov, a former NFL player and WWE superstar, has passed away at the age of 54. Many NFL and WWE fans shared their condolences on social media, including Dwayne Johnson. The actor and co-founder of the XFL took to Twitter to share his thoughts on Drozdov's passing.

Johnson reflected upon competing many times in the WWE with Drozdov, who was affectionately known as "Droz" in the company. He also talked about their conversations and sent his love to his family:

"Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away. Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother"

Darren Drozdov played college football at the University of Maryland before joining the Denver Broncos for the 1994 season. He would play three seasons in the NFL. The former nose tackle made his wrestling debut in 1998 with the WWE under the "Droz" character.

The sky was the limit in terms of his wrestling career until Oct. 1999. He suffered a broken neck in a match with fellow WWE superstar D'Lo Brown and was paralyzed from the neck down.

Drozdov gained movement in his arms and upper body eventually but required a wheelchair for the remainder of his life.

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Darren Drozdov's cause of death

Drozdov with the Denver Broncos

It was released that Darren Drozdov's death was of natural causes. The family of the former WWE superstar shared a statement, thanking those for the support given to Drozdov over the years:

"There are no words to convey the deep sense of loss and sadness we are feeling right now. We would like to extend our deepest appreciation to everyone. All of his fans, teammates, colleagues, and friends for all the love and support he received over the years.

"You all gave him meaning, purpose and something to live for. He loved each and every one of you and cherished the conversations, notes and letters he received. His faith in humanity never faltered, so know that for all the love you've shown him, he loved you back."

The family has yet to release if there will be a memorial service for the late Broncos player.