Quentin Groves, known for his sacks and smile, passes away

Quentin Groves, known for his sacks and smile, passes awayQuentin Groves, known for his sacks and smile, passes away

Oct. 15, 2016

By Charles Goldberg
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. -- Quentin Groves, a popular Auburn player who was known for his sacks and his smile, passed away his sleep in his wife's homeland of Trinidad over the weekend. He was 32.

Former teammates and current Auburn players remembered him on Twitter on Saturday.

"Saddened by the passing of a teammate and tremendously talented and passionate human being, Quentin Groves. Please pray for his family," wrote former teammate Andrew McCain on Twitter.

"RIP to Quentin Groves in the short amount of time that I had known him he passed on a lot of wisdom. Was a great Auburn Man," tweeted current Auburn defensive lineman Carl Lawson.

Groves was a high-profile signee for Auburn from Greenville, Miss., in 2003, and played for the Tigers from 2004-07. His 26 career sacks is tied for the school record.

Jay Jacobs, Auburn's Director of Athletics, said he was "devastated and in disbelief by the sudden passing of Quentin. He had a vibrant smile, a big personality and was full of life. His play on the field was equally impressive as one of Auburn's all-time sack leaders and was an important part of the winningest senior class in school history.

"Quentin was one of my favorites and I always enjoyed spending time with him. He lived life to its fullest and had a great love for his family and friends. On behalf of the entire Auburn family, our thoughts and prayers are with his wife Treska, their two children and countless family, friends and teammates."

Said coach Gus Malzahn, "We are saddened by the passing of former Auburn great Quentin Groves. Our thoughts and prayers are with Quentin's family and former teammates during this difficult time."

Groves was a second-round pick in the 2008 NFL draft by the Jacksonville Jaguars. He signed with seven NFL teams from 2008-2014. His last bid for NFL playing time came in 2015 with the Buffalo Bills.

Groves was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, which causes a rapid heartbeat, at the NFL Combine in 2008. He had surgery to minimize the problem before the draft.

"It's an extra circuit in the heart, and it speeds up your heartbeat, it's nothing too critical, but you have to take care of it," Groves said at the time.

He made his mark at Auburn, and was a member of a senior class that won 50 games in their career.





"Quentin Groves was fun to watch. Loved Auburn. Treated others with respect. He will be missed," tweeted former Tiger Cole Cubelic on Saturday morning.

"R.I.P to my AU brother Quentin Groves. I'm lost for words man," tweeted former teammate Josh Bynes.

"RIP to my Brother Quentin Groves!!" wrote teammate Zac Etheridge. "Man I'm in disbelief I just talked to you!! I learned so much from you in our time at Auburn together!!!"

The Jacksonville Jaguars said in a statement it was "deeply saddened to learn of the passing" of Groves.

"We offer our heartfelt condolences to the entire Groves family during this very difficult time."

Former Auburn defender and current Jacksonville player Sen'Derrick Marks expressed his loss.

"I had the pleasure and privilege of spending two seasons with Quentin at Auburn and I can attribute a lot of my early success in college from learning from him," Marks said. "He was an incredible athlete on the field and a great, close friend off of it."

Former Jacksonville teammate and current Jaguars tight end Marcedes Lewis called Groves "an outstanding man, on and off the field. He made everyone around him better and always had a smile on his face."

Groves met his wife, Treska Baptiste, at Auburn when he played football and she ran track. He is survived by his wife and two children, Que'Mani Kassan Shiloh and Que'Jaah.

Charles Goldberg is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @AUGoldMine



Our thoughts are with the Groves and Auburn family today. https://t.co/OsWGLO1IVe
-- ESPN CollegeFootball (@ESPNCFB) October 15, 2016