Jamil Merrell spent his football life within arm's reach of his twin brother, Jamal: side by side at Hodgson Vocational Technical High School in Newark, Delaware, then as teammates on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights' defense, and finally back home in Delaware, where he coached the next generation of players. Merrell died on July 7, 2026. He was 36.

At Rutgers, Merrell played defensive line from 2009 to 2013, appearing in 34 games with 18 starts. He finished his college career with 81 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and four pass breakups, according to Rutgers University Athletics. He played under head coaches Greg Schiano and Kyle Flood, and in his senior season he was named a team captain alongside Jamal, quarterback Gary Nova and wide receiver Brandon Coleman.

Merrell went undrafted in the 2014 NFL Draft. He signed with the Chicago Bears and spent time on the team's practice squad, then played for the Brooklyn Bolts of the Fall Experimental Football League before moving into arena football with the Los Angeles KISS and the Colorado Crush, according to Sports Illustrated.

When his playing days ended, Merrell returned to Delaware, working as a sports performance coach and serving as defensive coordinator for the football program at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear, not far from the high school field where he and Jamal first played the game together.

Jamal announced his brother's death in an Instagram post to family and friends, according to On3. He recalled that Jamil's final words to him were, "It's time for me to level up, and everything down here for me is complete." "With tears in our eyes and love in our hearts, I want everyone to know that my twin brother, Jamil, is peacefully transitioning to be with God," Jamal wrote. "You never complained. You never quit. You stood 10 toes down through it all," he wrote of his brother's strength, closing his tribute: "Rest easy, Twin. Your work here is done."

What persists is the coaching he did after his own playing career ended: the Red Lion Christian Academy defense he built as its coordinator, and the sports performance training he gave to younger Delaware athletes. His name remains part of the Rutgers record of captains who anchored the program's defensive line from 2009 to 2013, and of the short list of Delaware natives who reached an NFL practice squad. Jamal, who played every level of the game beside him, from Newark's youth fields to the Scarlet Knights' defense, is the one left to carry it forward.