Mississippi State OL Sam Westmoreland Dies at Age 18

Mississippi State offensive lineman Sam Westmoreland died Wednesday at the age of 18.

Head coach Mike Leach released a statement about Westmoreland:

The school did not release any details of Westmoreland's death but said in a statement it is working with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff's Office, the MSU Division of Student Affairs and the MSU athletics department to determine the facts.

Mississippi State president Mark E. Keenum also issued a statement about Westmoreland:

"One of the most profound lessons I've learned while leading this great university is that the tragic loss of one of our students diminishes all of our students—and all of us at Mississippi State feel the impact of Sam Westmoreland's death. My prayers are with Sam's family and friends, with his MSU teammates and coaches, and with the Tupelo community during this most difficult time."

Raised in Tupelo, Mississippi, Westmoreland played football at Tupelo High School.

According to his official bio, Westmoreland earned Region 2-6A second-team honors as a high school senior and was named to the 2022 Northeast Mississippi Football Coaches Association All-Star Game.

After graduating from high school, Westmoreland enrolled at Mississippi State. The 19-year-old was a freshman walk-on for the Bulldogs football team this season. He did not appear in a game.

Westmoreland was an industrial technology major.