Former Southern California DB Kevin Ellison dies at 31

LOS ANGELES (AP) Former Southern California defensive back Kevin Ellison, who was a captain for the Trojans before a brief NFL career, has died. He was 31.

USC's athletic department confirmed Ellison's death with a Twitter post on Saturday. The Los Angeles Times reported records from the Los Angeles County coroner's office showed Ellison died on a freeway, though no cause of death was given and an exam was still pending. Ellison's brother, Chris Ellison, told the Times his brother had mental issues and was walking along I-5 at the time of his death.

Kevin Ellison played for USC from 2005-08. He was an all-Pac-12 safety and played on teams that won three Rose Bowl games.

Ellison was drafted by San Diego in the sixth round in 2009 and played nine NFL games.

---

More AP college football: https://apnews.com/tag/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25