NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE - APRIL 12: Event co-hosts Rascal Flatts member Jay DeMarcus (R) and former NFL player Kevin Carter (L) pose with actor Keith Loneker (C) during the Waiting for Wishes Celebrity Waiters Dinner on April 12, 2016 in Nashville, Tennessee. (Photo by Terry Wyatt/Getty Images for Waiting For Wishes)

Former Big 12 star, NFL player passes away at 46

He was a star football player turned actor.

Keith Loneker Jr. is a member of the Kansas Jayhawks football team that made four starts in 2016 and appeared in all 12 of his team's games. The young man went to Kansas and followed in the immense footsteps of his father, Keith Loneker Sr., who was a standout player for the Jayhawks before reaching the NFL. Unfortunately, it was Loneker Jr. that broke tragic news about his father on Thursday, as he announced that the elder Loneker has passed away at the age of 46.

Loneker Sr. was diagnosed with cancer late in 2016 and things apparently deteriorated from there. The three-year NFL veteran starred for Kansas from 1989 through 1992 before landing with the Rams organization at the professional level. A 6'4  offensive tackle,  Loneker Sr. played in 19 games in the NFL from 1992-1995 and made five starts. He was a key member of the Kansas football community.

Following his playing days, Loneker Sr. also transitioned into a prominent role as an actor, receiving more than a dozen film and television credits that included placement in  recognizable movies such as "Superbad", "Jersey Boys" and "Leatherheads."

This is, quite obviously, a tragic day for his family and friends and we want to keep the entire community around Keith Loneker Sr. in our thoughts and prayers on the heels of his passing.