In a tragic turn, Stetson football’s redshirt freshman Nick Blakely collapsed after practice on Monday and died in the hospital. He was 19.
If Stetson football team’s opening game against Sacred Heart is a victory, it will be bittersweet. The program lost one of its players following a recent practice. On Monday, Stetson redshirt freshman Nick Blakely died after collapsing during practice.
Blakely complained of not feeling well at practice. He subsequently collapsed and was transported by ambulance to Florida Hospital DeLand, where he later passed away.
Blakely was a native of Lawrenceville, Georgia, where he lettered in three sports in high school. He is survived by father, Milton; his mother, Michelle Wilson; and four siblings.
The university released the following tweet after the tragedy:
Stetson University Mourns Passing of Nick Blakely https://t.co/n6qX2yXPrN
— Stetson Football (@StetsonFootball) August 29, 2017
Stetson AD Jeff Altier released the following statement to The News-Journal: “We had a tragic incident and a young man lost his life this evening, We are devastated by the loss, and our heart goes out the family and to the team members as they deal with this tragic loss.” The university is providing grief counselors to the students as well.
The NCAA already has banned two-a-day practices due to concerns over student safety. Blakely is the second college football player to die after a grueling practice this year. Earlier in 2017, Kent State freshman OT Tyler Heintz died after summer drills. The coach in question, Ross Bowsher, who was responsible for the workouts that day, was fired afterward. Kent State determined that Bowsher’s certifications were falsified.
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The cause of Blakely’s death has not been released yet, but we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.