Mahelona dies in car accident

Jesse Mahelona, a former Orange Coast College standout who played in the NFL, has died after being involved in a car accident.

According to the Associated Press, agent Chad Speck said Mahelona, who was 26, died Friday night after being involved in an accident about a mile from his home in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Speck said Saturday he didn’t know any more circumstances of the accident.

After OCC, Mahelona played at the University of Tennessee. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2006 NFL draft by the Titans, where he played in 10 games as a rookie. He also spent time with the Miami Dolphins before playing his last NFL game with the Atlanta Falcons in 2007.

He is survived by his wife, Brandi, who is pregnant with the couple’s second child.

In two seasons at the University of Tennessee, he had 77 tackles and seven sacks.

— From staff reports