(WHDH) — A college community is mourning the loss of a beloved football player who died from coronavirus complications on Tuesday, officials said
Jamain Stephens, 20, played three seasons as a defensive lineman for Division II California University of Pennsylvania. The business administration major was entering his senior year.
“Jamain was such a wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you saw him,” Athletic Director Dr. Karen Hjerpe said in a news release. “His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met.”
Prior to enrolling at the college, Stephens won a pair of district championships and a state title at Central Catholic High School in Pittsburgh.
In a Facebook post that has since been edited, the high school announced that Stephens’ cause of death was COVID-19, the New York Daily News reported.
“Jamain was an avid Central Catholic supporter, and could often be found cheering on the Vikings and sending videos and messages of support and encouragement to his younger Viking brothers,” school officials wrote in the post.
Stephens, whose father was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1996, appeared in 32 college football games.
Grief counselors have been made available at the college.
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