Philadelphia, PA – August 8, 2025
Some tragedies hit harder than any tackle. One of them just struck the Philadelphia Eagles — and more specifically, a young rookie who was supposed to be living his dream. But instead of soaking in the thrill of his first NFL training camp, Gabe Hall is learning how to breathe through heartbreak.
The mood shifted at camp this week. What was once the sound of whistles and shoulder pads turned into uneasy silence as news spread that Hall’s longtime girlfriend, Lina Bina — known online as MissJohnDough — had passed away suddenly at the age of 24. She died on August 6th, just two days before Gabe was scheduled to participate in joint practices with the Bengals. To teammates and coaches, she was just a name. But to Gabe, she was everything.
They met back in Waller, Texas, both chasing different kinds of dreams. He was a star defensive lineman at Baylor, raw and relentless. She was building her own world online — a content creator, fearless, always dancing on the edge of attention. Their worlds were different, but somehow they collided in the middle of a quiet college town. From late-night study sessions to weekend road trips, Gabe and Lina became inseparable.
Her death came as a shock. Reports confirmed that Lina had undergone her third Brazilian Butt Lift surgery — a cosmetic procedure known for its dangers — and later died from blood clots in her heart and neck. Friends like Coco Bliss, a fellow creator, posted tearful tributes online. But no one felt the loss more than Gabe Hall.
"She always told me I’d make it. She saw this moment — this jersey — before I ever believed it myself," one teammate shared, recalling Gabe’s words after he left camp to return home for the funeral. "Now every snap, every rep… it’s for her."
The Eagles responded the only way a family does. Head coach Nick Sirianni dedicated a team meeting to Lina, offering a moment of silence and space for players to share. Some wore black armbands during practice. Others just gave Hall the one thing that matters more than schemes and stats: brotherhood.
Social media lit up not with gossip, but with grief. Fans flooded Gabe’s pages with messages of strength. “Play for her.” “She’s watching you now.” “Make it count.” And Gabe saw it all. Even through pain, he heard her voice in those echoes.
Now back in camp, he’s not the same player — he’s something more. Sharper. Hungrier. Focused not on proving scouts wrong, but on proving her right. Teammates have noticed. Coaches have praised his intensity. But Gabe says little. He lets his pads talk.
He wears her initials on his wrist tape. He doesn’t need reminders — the ache is always there. But he’s no longer just chasing a roster spot. He’s chasing something bigger: purpose.
“She believed I’d be great,” Gabe once said quietly to a staffer. “So that’s what I’m going to be.”
In Philadelphia, the road to the 53-man roster is brutal. But for Gabe Hall, the fire driving him now isn’t just football. It’s love, loss, and the memory of a girl from Texas who never stopped believing in him — even when she’s no longer here to say it.
Stay tuned to ESPN.
