NFL star Nick Mangold claimed kidney disease was not a 'life or death situation' in resurfaced final interview

The tragic passing of Nick Mangold was unforeseen by nearly everyone, including the New York Jets great.

Mangold, who'd been undergoing dialysis for kidney problems, told the New York Post's Steve Serby he was in need of a transplant two weeks earlier, but stressed his situation wasn't dire.

'It's more just to get it done, rather than [a] life-or-death situation,' the married father of four told Serby after publicly seeking a donor online. 'Apparently you can be on dialysis for many years. It's quality of life that we're looking at.'

Mangold was unable to get a kidney from any relatives, none of whom were found to be a match.

The Jets revealed his passing Sunday, writing that the long-time center and two-time All-Pro succumbed to complications from kidney disease – something he'd been quietly dealing with since 2006.

'I assumed I'd be like 60 or so before it came up,' Mangold said that day. 'But it's reared its ugly head now, sooner than I thought it would.

'I don't think anybody knew about it other than the doctors and my family,' Mangold added. 'I didn't want any cloud hanging over anything that I did.'

Mangold dropped about 35 pounds in two months over the summer. That, coupled with a reduced red blood cell count and spells of fatigue, dizziness and nausea prompted him to go to the doctor, where he learned he'd need a kidney.

The former Ohio State star admitted to being frightened by the news.

'Oh, very much so,' Mangold said. 'Getting told to go to the hospital immediately was not a great phone call to get. I don't particularly like surgery, so that's always scary. You put the trust in the doctors' hands.'

But even after that ordeal, Mangold remained optimistic, telling Serby he was 'fortunate' to 'have a path to recovery.

'There's a lot of people that go through illness and different things that there isn't a direct path to how you get better,' he said. 'I have a direct path, I just need to go on that path.'

Mangold also explained part of his reason in coming forward to was raise awareness about kidney disease.

'It's something that I feel now I think a little bit more empowered to talk about,' Mangold said. 'That it's really affecting me, for people that it's also affecting. Because there's plenty of people out there that deal with chronic kidney disease in everyday life. 

'I played 11 years with chronic kidney disease, and now, if I have the opportunity to share that message, that I was able to do things that I wanted to do while dealing with it, that they can do things as well.'

Mangold's former teammate Bart Scott was shocked at how quickly the decorated offensive lineman declined. 

'We had just got the news and we were so hopeful that there was a plan in place that we were gonna find a way to make sure that we figure it out,' Scott said on SNY. 

'These are one of those things where you just expect it to go a different way. I was anticipating some type of organ drive or something like that and the story ends with a happy ending, and we all can go on and Nick can be the loving father, teammate and friend.' 

Although the team came back to the Cincinnati Bengals for first-year head coach Aaron Glenn's first win, Sunday was easily one of the saddest days in Jets history.

Mangold's former head coach, Rex Ryan, tried to put his grief into words on ESPN before breaking down in tears of the loss.

'It's brutal,' Ryan said. 'Such a great young man. I had the pleasure of coaching him for all six years with the Jets.

'I remember it was obvious I was getting fired. My last game, Mangold's injured, and he comes to me and he says, 'I'm playing this game.' He wanted to play for me.

'That's what I remember about this kid, he was awesome - and it's way too young. I feel so bad for his wife and his family.'

Ryan's ESPN colleague Randy Moss put an arm on his shoulder to console him as host Mike Greenberg said: 'Difficult day obviously for so many who knew and loved Nick Mangold, and you were among those. And all of the Jets family and the Ohio State family is mourning today as well.'

Mangold played his entire 10-year NFL career with the Jets. He leaves behind wife Jenny and their four children: Matthew, Eloise, Thomas and Charlotte.