Evan Murray Dies: Promising High School Football Player Took A Nasty Hit On The Field [Update]
A promising high school football player died after a freak injury on-field.
A New Jersey high school football player succumbed to injuries he sustained while playing a match. The student, identified as Evan Murray, belonged to Warren Hills Regional High School and played as a quarterback for the high school’s football team. He was injured in a game Friday night.
Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Evan Murray.
— New York Jets (@nyjets) September 26, 2015
Though no details about the nature of the injury are currently known, Murray was an experienced player. The three-sport athlete had been the football team’s starting quarterback for three years.
The death of the high school football player prompted a wave of messages on social media expressing grief over the sudden passage of a talented athlete. A fundraising page was also set up on GoFundMe by supporters of his family. The page states Murray, a senior at the high school, took a hit behind the line of scrimmage during the game.
“Evan was a bright kid who excelled in academics and in sports. Evan was always doing something to give back to his community. Murray played football, basketball and baseball for his school.”
Interim Superintendent Gary Bowen added that he was “deeply saddened” by the death of Evan Murray, however, he declined to take any questions, mentioning that a cause of death has not yet been determined. An autopsy was scheduled for today, and the exact cause of his death could be known shortly.
Warren Hills head coach Larry Dubiel said, “We lost a fine kid.”
A guy everyone wanted to be like. A true hometown hero. You'll be missed. You'll always be the leader of this team. pic.twitter.com/2u6Irlvhse
— Mark Formo (@M_Formo) September 26, 2015
A large crowd of coaches, students, and community members gathered at the school’s football field for a short memorial service. Those who attended the match were surprised to hear about Murray’s death. Though the high school football player had taken a hit, he seemed fine and even walked off the field unaided. However, others added that the quarterback collapsed a short time later.
Expressing his condolences, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie posted the following message on Twitter.
On behalf of all the people of New Jersey, Mary Pat and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the Murray family on the loss of Evan.
— Chris Christie (@GovChristie) September 26, 2015
Multiple football players have died after sustaining injuries on field. Numerous reports have indicated widely varying reasons, while quite a few deaths are still being investigated.
[Update] Support for the Murray family has surged online, with the GoFundMe page crossing $16,000 in donations.
[Image Credit | GoFundMe]
