Former Alabama and NFL defensive lineman Jeremy Nunley died Monday night of an apparent heart attack, AL.com has confirmed. He was 46.

Nunley was a member of the Crimson Tide's 1992 national championship team, a key performer on a defensive line that also featured All-Americans John Copeland and Eric Curry. In a 2017 interview with AL.com as part of an oral history project on the 1992 team, Nunley said he still cherishes memories of that title season.

"I just couldn't believe it," Nunley said. "I tried to take it all in. It's one of those things, for the rest of your life, nobody can ever take it away from you."

Nunley was on the field for two of the more famous plays during that 1992 season, Antonio Langham's game-winning interception return in the SEC championship against Florida and George Teague's miraculous strip of Miami's Lamar Thomas in the Sugar Bowl. Nunley can be seen in videos dodging to get out of Langham's way on the former play, but he said he never saw the latter one.

"I actually got my helmet ripped off on that play by (Miami tackle) Mario Cristobal, who just left Alabama to go coach at Oregon," Nunley said. "He ripped my helmet off, got his hand up in my facemask and just about ripped my nose off. I was trying to figure out where I was at, because he got a finger up one of my nostrils. I had a bloody nose. That's basically what I remember about that one."

Following Copeland and Curry's departure to the NFL, Nunley started for the Crimson Tide in 1993 and was an All-SEC pick. He later played a handful of years with the NFL's Houston Oilers, who drafted him in the second round in 1994.

Nunley was also well-known for a run-in with South Carolina quarterback Steve Tanneyhill during a 1993 game in Columbia (which Alabama won 17-6). Tanneyhill had been highly recruited by Alabama and did his share of trash talk in the days leading up to the game.

"I chased him down by his hair," Nunley said. "You know he had that long hair. I made sure I got ahold of that. I was one of his hosts when he came to Alabama, and he was a little smartass. So I wanted to definitely get after him."

After his football career ended, Nunley re-settled in Tuscaloosa and worked for Bayer Pharmaceuticals. He is survived by his wife, Marti (a former Alabama gymnast), and two daughters.

Several former Alabama teammates and coaches reacted to Nunley's death via social media on Tuesday:

Praying for Jeremy’s wife Marti (former Bama gymnast) and his two daughters. Please keep them in your prayers. https://t.co/ARfEn3ZECs — Jay Barker (@JayBarker7) February 6, 2018

#BamaNation we lost a good one, we never know what God has in store for us so please keep my Bama Teamate Jeremy Nunley wife his daughters & his family lifted up in prayer RIP J #ROLLTIDE 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/nnOLLDwWBe — Mark McMillian (@MarkMcMillian29) February 6, 2018

I signed Jeremy Nunley in 1989along with Antonio London at Tullahoma, TN His Mom fed me Deer Chili. So sad! RIP my friend. Prayers https://t.co/S4gnwzBLMM — Tommy Limbaugh (@tommylimbaugh) February 6, 2018