The Sports Xchange

Green Bay Packers tight end Andrew Quarless didn’t report to the start of training camp last week because he was dealing with the death of his baby daughter.

Quarless, fighting back tears, shared the news with reporters Monday.

“This past Wednesday, July 29, I lost my daughter on delivery,” Quarless said. “Probably the saddest day of my life.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy said last week that Quarless was absent because of an “extremely difficult family situation.”

Quarless said he is thankful for the support around him.

“I think this team is very special,” Quarless said. “The type of support they have given me has gotten me through it. I’m just very thankful. I’m thankful for these guys. It’s really a family in here. It’s really a family.”

The 26-year-old Quarless arrived at the Packers’ facility on Friday and practiced for the first time on Saturday.

“Andrew obviously has been gone because of what him and his family have been dealing with,” McCarthy said Saturday. “From a professional standpoint, you’ve got to make sure that he’s OK, and that’s the priority. But as far as his workload, just treat him as if it was his first day.”

Quarless made headlines this offseason for his July 4 arrest in Miami Beach, Fla., on charges of firing a gun during an argument outside a parking garage. He could face punishment from the league for violating the personal-conduct policy.

Quarless, entering his sixth season with the Packers, was a fifth-round draft pick out of Penn State in 2010. He caught 29 passes for a career-high 323 yards and three touchdowns in 16 games (11 starts) last season. In five seasons with the Packers, he has 85 receptions for 909 yards and six touchdowns.