It is with a heavy heart that we report on the death of former Nebraska Cornhuskers offensive lineman Mark Pelini. Pelini, who was just 31 years old, died in a car accident on the Indiana Toll Road on Sunday along with the passenger in his vehicle, 31-year-old Jillian Marian.
In the other vehicle involved in the accident, passenger Jane Beecher (57) also died at the scene of the crash. The driver of the second vehicle and a backseat passenger were taken to a local hospital with serious injuries.
Mark Pelini is the son of Diane and Vince Pelini and the nephew of former Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini and former FAU head coach Carl Pelini. According to WKBN, Jillian Marian was a math teacher at Hubbard High School.
Pelini started his career in Lincoln as an offensive lineman for the Huskers from 2005-2008. After graduating from Nebraska, he played one season for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the now-defunct United Football League. He then moved on to coaching, first as an assistant at Ohio University in 2011 and then as head coach at Campbellsville University in Kentucky from 2012-2014. Most recently, he had been working as an assistant offensive line coach for Youngstown State University since January of this year.
Our thoughts and prayers are with Mark Pelini’s family and friends during this difficult time. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.
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