Giants of the past and present are mourning the loss of Korey Cunningham.
The offensive tackle’s death at the age of 28 was announced Friday and his former teammates were quick to share their memories of the five-season NFL veteran.
“We would invite him to the OL dinner every week even though he wasn’t on the team which doesn’t happen…ever,” Justin Pugh, who first played with Cunningham in 2018 in Arizona, wrote on X. “Team dinners are for players on the team only. Except for Korey….solely because he was beloved by all the guys regardless if you knew him or not! He’d tell stories and we’d laugh our asses off all night.
“Today is a sad day but I’ll always remember the good times and the laughs. Everyone who knew Korey Cunningham was better for it. The world lost a great soul.”
Cunningham was found dead at his home in Clifton, N.J., on Thursday, with law enforcement sources telling RLS Media the death was self-inflicted.
The news sent shockwaves through the Giants community.
“Damn man,” running back Saquon Barkley, who left the team for the Eagles this offseason, wrote on X.
In a statement announcing his passing, the Giants called Cunningham, who played in 13 games with the team from 2021-22 a “vital part of the spirit and camaraderie of the locker room,” a sentiment echoed by numerous players on social media.
“I’ll never understand this one,” kicker Graham Gano wrote over an image of himself and Cunningham on his Instagram Story. “I genuinely loved this man. Just tried FaceTiming you this morning and then I found out the news a couple of minutes later. I had so many laughs with you my brother, and this morning, I cried for you.”
A seventh-round pick of the Cardinals in 2018, Cunningham also played two seasons with the Patriots.
“RIP Big Country man easily one of the happiest and best teammates i ever had fly high big fella,” receiver Darius Slayton wrote on X.
Long-snapper Casey Kreiter was similarly broken up by the news of Cunningham’s passing.
“Incredibly hurt to hear of the passing of my friend and teammate,” he wrote on X. “Korey was the best. Always brought a smile and an infectious positive energy. Life sucks sometimes….”
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.
