Former USC offensive lineman Max Tuerk has died at age 26. USC's Twitter account announced Tuerk's passing on Sunday. Tuerk's family said in a statement that he died while hiking with his parents in Cleveland National Forest north of San Diego.
"Max loved his teammates, coaches and schools," the family said. "Max was a loving son and older brother and his passing leaves a giant hole in our hearts."
Tuerk played with the Trojans from 2012-15 and made at least one start at every position along the offensive line, though he spent the majority of his career at left guard and center. In his decorated career, Tuerk was a Freshman All-American selection in 2012 and a First Team All-Pac-12 Selection in 2014.
Though a stalwart in the trenches and a leader for the program, Tuerk played at USC during a period of turmoil. In his four years in Los Angeles, he was coached by Lane Kiffin, Ed Orgeron, Steve Sarkisian and current coach Clay Helton.
Following Tuerk's passing, a number of current and former Trojan coaches and players took to social media to pass along their condolences.
Heartbroken by the loss of Max Tuerk. Incredible person, teammate, and Trojan. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family.
— Clay Helton (@USCCoachHelton) June 21, 2020
A tremendous competitor. An incredible loss and our support for Greg and Val (His parents) will know we will be there to support them. As a parent I can't imagine. We are so sorry. https://t.co/0l8pHFxIMJ
— CoachJohnBaxter (@CoachJohnBaxter) June 21, 2020
Just got some terrible news. Damn man, RIP Max Tuerk! Gone too soon.. ✌🏿✌🏿❤️💛
— Dion Bailey (@dbailey_18) June 21, 2020
Following his career with USC, which included 38 starts, he was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the 2016 NFL Draft. His professional career would be short, however, as he spent just two years in the league with the Chargers and the Arizona Cardinals. He was a four-star prospect out of Santa Margarita High School in 2012 and considered one of the top linemen in that recruiting cycle.
