According to reports, Oliver Gibson’s wife, Requel Gibson, serves as the senior counsel and vice president of BMO.
Former Bengals defensive tackle Oliver Gibson tragically passed away on Sunday, June 29, 2025, at the age of 53. However, the cause of death has not been revealed yet.
Yesenia Vasquez took to her official Facebook page, offering her heartfelt condolences and sending prayers to his family. She wrote,
Prays to Requel Gibson & her mom & his son & family for the loss of one of the greatest football players to come out of school. Oliver you will be missed. He was not just athlete he was a father , son & brother. Please keep his family in your prayers
Yesenia Vasquez
Keith Whitehead, a Portsmouth, Virginia resident, also took to his Facebook and wrote,
Another Great Bengals Has Passed Away June 29, 2025 Oliver Gibson was a defensive tackle for the Cincinnati Bengals from 1999 to 2003. He played college football at Notre Dame and was originally drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1995 NFL Draft.
Keith Whitehead
Holtz’s Heroes Foundation took to their official Twitter handle and mourned the loss of Oliver by stating,
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.🙏🏽
Holtz’s Heroes Foundation
Gibson spent five seasons with the Bengals (1999-2003). He started 57 straight games from 1999 to 2002 after signing with Cincinnati in free agency in March of 1999.
He compiled 201 tackles (37 for loss), 12 sacks, and 10 passes defensed in 73 career games with Cincinnati.
The Steelers took Oliver in the fourth round (120th overall) in the 1999 NFL Draft. He spent four seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals.
After his playing days, Gibson got into coaching at the high school level. He was named head football coach at his alma mater, Romeoville High School, which is 32 miles from downtown Chicago.
Wife Requel Gibson Is Mourning The Tragic Death Of Her Husband, Oliver Gibson
Former professional defensive tackle Oliver Donnovan Gibson was married to Requel Gibson. Sadly, their married life ended following the tragic death of Oliver.
Close ones and relatives have poured their heartfelt condolences to Requel to stay strong in this challenging moment.
According to Requel’s LinkedIn profile, she pursued her bachelor’s degree at Dartmouth College and later earned her law degree from the University of Notre Dame Law School.
She served as the legal assistant at Arnold & Porter from July 1992 to July 1994. She was a general counselor for Donlyn Distribution Inc.
From October 2014 to November 2016, she was an attorney at Jenner & Block LLP.
Since December 2016, Requel has served as senior counsel and vice president of BMO.
According to Requel’s Facebook profile, she was born to her mother, Barbara Mitchell, who is originally from Chicago, Illinois, but currently resides in Atlanta, Georgia.
Barbara serves as the owner and CEO of Donlyn Distribution Inc.
Requel shares a close bond with her mother, Barbara. On July 4, 2023, Barbara took to her official Facebook handle and wished Requel a happy birthday with the caption,
Happy Birthday to my adventuresome daughter Requel, she and her cousin Ida are traveling in Panama city, Panama, and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil celebrating her Birthday. We will celebrate later this month.
Barbara Mitchell
Oliver Gibson Is Also Survived By His Son, Zach Gibson
Former football coach at Romeoville High School, Oliver Gibson, and his wife, Requel Gibson, had a son named Zach Gibson.
Standing at 6-foot-5 and weighing 217 pounds, Zach is a junior wide receiver for Southern Illinois University.
As a freshman in 2021, he made two catches for 28 yards, one of which was a 19-yard touchdown against South Dakota State.
In the 2023 season, he played in 12 games, making two starts, and recorded 12 receptions for 132 yards and a touchdown.
Notably, he had a standout performance against Missouri State, catching three passes for 71 yards.
Moreover, he showed his athleticism as a quarterback at Romeoville High School, where he played under his father, former NFL defensive tackle Oliver Gibson.
He also competed in high-level AAU basketball with the Illinois Wolves.
Currently, Zach is mourning the tragic death of his supportive and devoted father, Oliver Gibson.
In Case You Didn’t Know
- In 1989, Oliver Donnovan Gibson was named USA Today High School Football Defensive Player of the Year.
- Zach Gibson graduated from Southern Illinois University in September 2024. Barbara shared some glimpses of the ceremony on her social media handle.
