Craig Roh, Former Michigan Football Player, Dead at 33 Following Colon Cancer Diagnosis

Roh's family in a statement Wednesday that he had been diagnosed with colon cancer in Aug. 2022

Former Michigan football player Craig Roh has died at the age of 33.

The wife of the former Michigan defensive lineman, Chelsea Roh, announced the news in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), on Wednesday saying that Roh had been diagnosed with Stage IV colon cancer for 18 months before his death on Monday.

"Craig was not very public with his battle, as he truly just wanted to focus on bringing the best content and building the best products he could," she wrote on X. "He laid out a timeline for his business so stay tuned… Many have asked how they can help, I’ve attached our GoFundMe to this post."

“Craig did not want to go public with his diagnosis and battle because, in true Craig fashion, he did not want the attention to be on him,” the GoFundMe from Roh's family added. “From chemo, to targeted therapy, to clinical trials at MD Anderson and in Honduras, Craig was resilient [until] the very end.”

The family said it will be using any money raised by the GoFundMe to pay for Roh’s medical expenses and future schooling for his son Max as “they mourn and start to rebuild their life.” Funeral services for Roh will be held on Mar. 16 in Phoenix, Ariz.

Related: College Football Player, 21, Dead After Collapsing During Workout: 'We Are Heartbroken Beyond Measure'

Roh was born on Jan. 25, 1991, and from a very young age was interested in sports, academics and bible study, according to a biography of his life on the GoFundMe. At 6-years-old, he began his journey as an athlete by playing football and basketball at the local YMCA and Boys and Girls Club.

He carried that passion for playing football into Chaparral High School and became a varsity football starter during his Sophomore year. By his senior year, he was awarded Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year and Under Armor All-America. Due to his high level of play, he picked up offers from 35 Division I programs and ultimately chose to accept a full-ride scholarship to play football at The University of Michigan.

Related: Reed Ryan, UM Duluth Football Player, Dead at 22 After Collapsing During Workout: 'Epitome of a UMD Bulldog'

While playing at Michigan, he set even more records, becoming the player with the most consecutive starts in a career from freshman year to senior year. He earned several more titles including freshman All-American, All-Big Ten, and Top Michigan Defensive Lineman.

After college, he moved onto the professional NFL scene, playing one year for the Carolina Panthers, before playing professional football in the Canadian Football League. He moved to Vancouver, Canada and played for the BC Lions and won a CFL Grey Cup championship.

After his football career ended, Roh went into the technology business. He moved his family to Austin, Tx. where he worked for various startups. His love for football wasn’t too far away though as he also worked to build an “online defensive line coaching football business,” added the GoFundMe statement.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Roh met Chelsea after college and married her in 2016. Five years later, the couple welcomed their son Max.

“Craig didn’t care about the frivolous things of life. He wanted to spend all of his time caring, loving, and building a life around the things that he believed mattered,” the GoFundMe read. “Whether it was his faith, his marriage, his son, his family, his friends or his business he always had an unrelenting focus with his time and energy.” 

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.