The William & Mary Athletics Department mourns the loss of football alum, J.D. Gibbs ’91, who died Friday night.
He was 49 years old.
“On behalf of the W&M community, we send our deepest sympathies to the Gibbs family,” said William & Mary Director of Athletics, Samantha Huge. “J.D. impacted W&M, both as a student-athlete and in his life after graduation. He will be missed.”
Gibbs was a member of the Tribe football program from 1987-90 and was a contributor on a pair of W&M squads that made appearances in the NCAA Playoffs (1989–90).
“J.D. was a great young man,” said former William & Mary Head Football Coach Jimmye Laycock. “He came from an outstanding family and was a tremendous teammate while in our program. J.D. had a successful career after graduation, but, more importantly, he was a great father and a leader in his community. My thoughts are with the entire Gibbs family at this time.”
After graduation, Gibbs joined his father, Joe Gibbs, the Hall of Fame former coach of the Washington Redskins, in building Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) into one of the premier teams on the NASCAR circuit. He served in a wide variety of roles, from tire changer to a brief stint as a driver. JD was named president of the organization in 1998 and eventually moved into the co-chairman role prior to the 2016 season.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced J.D. Gibbs’ death on Saturday, saying he died from complications following a long battle with a degenerative neurological disease. It was revealed in 2015 that he was dealing with “conditions related to brain function.” He was serving as president of JGR at the time.
Washington owner Dan Snyder and wife Tanya say they are “heartbroken for the J.D. Gibbs family” and “for anyone who had the honor and privilege to know J.D., he was instantly recognized as a champion in life and sports.”
Gibbs is survived by wife Melissa and four boys.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
