A RISING football player’s cause of death has been revealed after he was found unresponsive at home.
Jeremiah Kelly, 18, was found dead just months after starting his college career.
Jeremiah Kelly unexpectedly died at age 18[/caption]
The teenager suffered from a heart condition known as cardiac hypertrophy[/caption]
Kelly, who was an early enrollee for the University of Cincinnati, died in his sleep, his heartbroken family announced in April.
Autopsy documents obtained by ESPN have revealed a condition he had.
The 18-year-old suffered from cardiac hypertrophy, a disease where the heart muscles become thickened.
The thickened heart muscle can make it harder for the heart to pump blood.
Kelly’s mother, Chiniqua, told ESPN that her son wore a heart monitor during workouts but he was a healthy child.
The school confirmed the tragedy earlier this year as they asked the community for thoughts and prayers.
“The Bearcats football family is heartbroken by the sudden loss of this outstanding young man,” said football head coach Scott Satterfield.
“In the short time Jeremiah has spent with our team, he has made a real impact, both on the field and in our locker room.
“My prayers are with the Kelly family and those who had the pleasure of knowing Jeremiah.”
Kelly graduated from Avon High School and was an early enrollee at the university.
He began training with the university’s football team during the spring season, hoping to play in this fall.
Before joining the college team, he opened up about how football had changed his life for the better.
“When times got tough throughout the season, we didn’t ever turn our back on each other,” he told NBC affiliate WKYC.
“Our brotherhood really showed and [stayed through] those tough moments.
Kelly was named the Southwest Conference Lineman of the Year and earned first-team all-conference and all-district honors as a senior.
The Plain Dealer ranked him among Northeast Ohio’s Top 25 football prospects.
University of Cincinnati’s Director of Athletics John Cunningham described his death as a “heartbreaking loss.”
“All of us at UC send our love and prayers to the Kelly family and we will do everything that we can to support them and our Bearcats student-athletes in the difficult days and weeks ahead,” he said.
One high school alum commented, “Genuinely one of the best kids I’ve ever met, never without a smile on his face.
“Love u forever, Jer.”
