The death of Darren “Droz” Drozdov was covered by the mainstream media with outlets such as CNN, FOX News, NBC, USA Today, Yahoo, and many others all uploading stories following the news of his passing.
Drozdov, a former NFL player for the Denver Broncos, Philadelphia Eagles, and New York Jets, was also covered by NFL.COM.
WWE led the tributes with a graphic on Smackdown, writing, “WWE is saddened to learn that Darren Drozdov passed away on Friday, June 30, at age 54. An imposing force in the ring, Darren Drozdov became a notable figure in WWE, known to fans as both Puke and Droz during his time as an in-ring competitor. Drozdov captivated audiences in the late 1990s with his time spent in the Legion of Doom teaming with Animal and his Droz’s World vignettes. WWE extends its condolences to Darren Drozdov’s family, friends and fans.”
The news of his death led his name to be the #7 most-searched on Google yesterday according to Google Trends.
Many wrestlers also took to Twitter to express their condolences.
Denver Broncos: “We’re saddened by the passing of Darren Drozdov, who played for the Broncos from 1993-94 before becoming a @WWE wrestler. “Droz” embodied the spirit of perseverance & determination through adversity, and our hearts go out to his family.”
The Rock: “Man I’m so sorry to hear one of our ring brothers has passed away. Darren Drozdov aka Droz. We wrestled on a lot of cards together. Such an awesome dude. Great personality and great wrestling talent. We always talked about football and fishing. Sending love, strength, mana and light to his family. RIP brother.”
Taz: “Very sad to hear of Droz passing. Was a really a great guy. Career was sadly cut short due to a tragic situation in the ring. Battled for years, was always smiling and positive. RIP”
Amy “Lita” Dumas: “Be at peace, Darren. Droz really helped me get through my broken neck. He was so encouraging to me. His positivity helped me let go of anger I had due to being sidelined. He will always be an inspiration.”
Matt Hardy: “Saddened to hear about the passing of Darren Drozdov. Darren was a great guy who was always full of life & laughs.”
Marc Mero: “Very sad to hear former WWE Superstar “Droz” Darren Drozdov has died. He was an amazing man with a great attitude. I wrestled him numerous times and we were in many cities together. He also starred in the NFL, a nose tackle for the Denver Broncos. RIP”
Bully Ray: “Nothin but LOVE for our brother Droz. My condolences to his family and friends. RIP and God Bless”
Christian Cage: “#Droz”
Blue Meanie: “Heartbroken to learn of the passing of Darren Drozdov aka Droz. Sweetheart of a man. Was fortunate to get know him in ECW and then WWE. All good memories! Shared lots of laughs. Rest In Peace Droz. My thoughts and heart go out to his family.”
John “Bradshaw” Layfield: “Such a wonderful man. We wrestled each other, fought each other in Brawl for All, hunted together, talked tons and tons of football and laughed together every time we met. You made me want to be better the way you handled adversity. You will always be a brother. RIP legend.”
Christopher Daniels: “Rest in Peace Darren Drosdov. I was privileged to work him once, on Shotgun Saturday Night, and he was a true gentleman, allowing me to pitch ideas at a time that others might not have. Thank you Droz.”
Matt Cardona: “RIP DROZ! He’s gonna PUKE!!!”
Nattie Neidhart: “Very sad news about Darren Drozdov. He endured so much and always seemed to have a smile on his face no matter what. My heart goes out to his family and friends during this difficult time.”