A Georgia community is grieving an almost unimaginable loss after former high school football star and young dad Josh Cardiello died of sudden cardiac arrest at just 30 years old — the same way his younger brother Jacob died four years earlier.
Josh, a standout alum of Buford High School in Buford, Georgia, collapsed on Monday morning, Jan. 5, while playing basketball, his father, celebrity trainer and author Jay Cardiello, shared in a heartbreaking social media post.
“His loss was completely unexpected and has left our family, friends, and colleagues heartbroken,” Jay wrote.
Jay said Josh had devoted his career to honoring Jacob, who died of sudden cardiac arrest in 2021.
“Following the loss of his younger brother, Jacob, to sudden cardiac arrest in 2021, Josh dedicated his professional life to honoring Jacob’s memory through meaningful, patient-focused work,” Jay said. “His commitment, integrity, and compassion defined who he was—both personally and professionally.”
Josh worked for Amgen, a biomedical technology company, and was remembered by his father as someone who deeply impacted the people and patients around him.
“Josh will be deeply missed and forever remembered for the impact he had on those he worked with and the patients he served,” Jay added, thanking supporters for their “thoughts and prayers.”
The grief-stricken father also vowed to turn his pain into action, promising to advocate for “national mandated genetic testing at birth, scheduled heart screening throughout childhood and any innovations and advancements for effective cardiovascular treatments” to help protect other families from similar tragedies.
According to an obituary from Flanigan Funeral Home & Crematory, Josh was remembered as “a big giant Teddy Bear with a heart of gold.”
He graduated from Buford High School in 2013 and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in 2017. On the field, he was a three-time football state champion at Buford and began his college career at the University of Georgia on a full scholarship before finishing as a third-year starter at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Josh even got a shot at the pros, participating in Rookie Camp with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the team he had loved since attending their 2002 Super Bowl win as a young fan.
A celebration of life for Josh is set for Saturday, Jan. 10, in Buford.
In lieu of flowers, the family is asking supporters to donate to Who We Play For, a nonprofit that pushes for heart screenings for student athletes to help prevent sudden cardiac arrests during sports. The organization’s mission is to inspire schools, teams, and communities to make heart checks available to every student, regardless of where they live or how much money they have.
Got too excited thinking about that game winning catch for Taft High.
Did they get Covid vaccines.?