A car crash early Sunday morning in Athens, Georgia, killed Georgia Bulldogs football player Devin Willock and a member of the team’s recruiting staff, police said.
Two other football players were hurt in the crash, which happened just hours after the Bulldogs had a parade to celebrate winning their second straight national championship last week.
The Athens-Clarke County Police Department said that Mr. Willock, who was 20 years old, was a passenger in a Ford Expedition that crashed into two power poles and several trees at 2:45 a.m. local time. The police said that the offensive lineman died at the scene.
Chandler Lecroy, the driver, was taken to a nearby hospital, but she died there from her injuries, the police said. Athens-Clarke County Police said they are looking into what caused the one-car accident.
A statement from the University of Georgia says that the two other people who were hurt, a man who is 21 and a woman who is 26, are in stable condition.
The school’s athletic association said it will help staff and student-athletes with mental health counselling and other kinds of help.
Kirby Smart, the head football coach at the University of Georgia, said that the deaths were terrible for both the football team and the school as a whole.
“Devin was an amazing young man in every way. He always had a smile on his face, was a great teammate, and was a pleasure to coach. “Channing was an important part of our football team and always had a great attitude and a lot of energy,” the coach said in a statement.
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) January 15, 2023
The offensive lineman was 6 feet 7 inches tall and from New Milford, New Jersey. He played in all 13 of the Bulldogs’ regular season games, as well as the Peach Bowl win over Ohio State and Monday’s National Championship win over Texas Christian.
On Sunday, there were a lot of tributes to the two on social media. Jordan Davis, who used to play for Georgia, said that the news broke his heart. The Philadelphia Eagles defensive lineman said in a tweet, “There is no grief without love, and we love you both like family.”
Heartbroken Fr, Watching them grow and become like family over these few years. There is no grief without love, and we love both of you like family 🖤 💔 pic.twitter.com/f7caksCUZY
— Jordan Davis (@jordanxdavis99) January 15, 2023
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