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Mississippi State announces tragic passing of freshman OL
By Paul Harvey
Published:
Mississippi State has announced the tragic passing of a student-athlete member of the football team.
Wednesday afternoon, the Bulldogs confirmed the passing of freshman offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland. Westmoreland was a native of Tupelo, Mississippi. He was 19.
Mississippi State University was deeply saddened to learn of the death this morning of freshman student-athlete Samuel Westmoreland, 19, of Tupelo, Mississippi.https://t.co/cb6YD62bG2
— Mississippi State Football (@HailStateFB) October 19, 2022
Head coach Mike Leach addressed the tragedy via statement:
“The Mississippi State Athletics Family is heartbroken by the sudden death of Sam Westmoreland. Sam was a beloved son, brother and teammate, and a tremendous young man with a limitless future. He will always be remembered and deeply missed by everyone who knew and loved him. The entire MSU Family mourns as our thoughts and prayers go out to the Westmoreland family. Our highest priority is the support of the Westmoreland family and our student-athletes during this troubling time.”
According to Mississippi State, the university is working cooperatively with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office, the Oktibbeha County Coroner’s Office, the MSU Division of Student Affairs, and the MSU Athletics Department to determine the facts of Westmoreland’s passing.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Westmorelands during this tragic loss.
Paul is a lifelong fan and student of all things college football. He has been covering college football since 2017 and the B1G since 2018.