(CNN) — Paul Oliver, who played defensive back at the University of Georgia then in the NFL for the San Diego Chargers, was found dead Tuesday night from an apparently self-inflicted wound, police in suburban Atlanta said.
He was 29.
Police found Oliver’s body at the bottom of a set of stairs in a home in Marietta, Cobb County police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce said. He said the county medical examiner ruled the death a suicide by handgun and gave police authorization to release the cause.
A family member called 911, Pierce said.
“Everyone in the Chargers family is sad today after hearing the news about Paul,” a written statement from the NFL team said. “He was part of our family for five years. At just 29 years old, he still had a lifetime in front of him. Right now all of our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this most difficult time.”
Oliver played for the Chargers from 2007 to 2011, recording 144 tackles in 57 games.