Gibson played 9 years in the league
Oliver Gibson, a former NFL defensive lineman who played for the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, has died, his family and Notre Dame announced.
He was 53.
Gibson played nine seasons in the NFL after the Steelers selected the former Fighting Irish star in the fourth round of the 1995 draft. He was in the same draft class as Mark Bruener, Kordell Stewart and Brenden Stai.
Defensive lineman Oliver Gibson, #99 of the Cincinnati Bengals, looks on from the field after a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field on Nov. 30, 2003 in Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
He played four seasons in Pittsburgh and another five in Cincinnati.
"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Oliver Gibson. We send our condolences to his family and friends," Notre Dame said in a statement on Monday.
Gibson played in 133 games and recorded 17.5 sacks along with 243 combined tackles. The best season of his career came in 1999, when he put together 4.5 sacks with 41 tackles. He played all 16 games with the Bengals that year.
Defensive lineman Oliver Gibson, #98 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, looks on from the sideline during a game against the Tennessee Oilers at Three Rivers Stadium on Sept. 28, 1997 in Pittsburgh. (George Gojkovich/Getty Images)
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He played from 1995-2003.
Former Bengals star Chad OchoCinco was among those who shared their condolences on social media.
R.I.P Oliver Gibson “OG” 🕊️ pic.twitter.com/8eMFcr7ygl
— Chad Johnson (@ochocinco) June 29, 2025
We are deeply saddened by the passing of Oliver Gibson. We send our condolences to his family and friends. pic.twitter.com/Saz7l8Xwnq
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) June 30, 2025
Losing our brother Oliver Gibson is 💔. OG exemplified, “Teammates are forever!” He always stayed in touched, made sure guys were alright & consistently scheduled reunions. Our thoughts & prayers are with the Gibson family. OG will never be forgotten, he impacted so many of us.🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/4ECpbxlp9b
— Holtz's Heroes Foundation (@HoltzHeroes) June 29, 2025
RIP Oliver Gibson -- An underrated Steeler of those nasty 90s Defenses pic.twitter.com/5geT3yovfH
— SteelerNation (@steelernation) June 30, 2025
He played high school football in Romeoville, Illinois, where he was named the USA Today High School Defensive Player of the Year.
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle Oliver Gibson, #98, during media day of Super Bowl XXX at Sun Devil Stadium in Tempe, Arizona, on Jan. 23, 1996. (USA TODAY Sports )
Gibson returned to his alma mater in 2014 to become the head football coach, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. He was also an assistant basketball coach.
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Ryan Gaydos is a senior editor for Fox News Digital.
