Aaron Douglas Death: Rivalries Aside, It's Time to Mourn for Alabama Football

Alabama offensive tackle Aaron Douglas was found dead early Thursday morning in Fernandina Beach, Florida just days after finishing his first semester at the university.

Douglas had flown to Jacksonville to visit people in the small Florida town just outside Jacksonville, according to his Twitter account, and Fernandina Police Sgt. John Hepler told reporters that the next of kin would be notified before any information was released about his death. 

Little is known about the circumstances of Douglas' death, but the junior offensive lineman's passing has stunned the college football community. 

Douglas spent two seasons at Tennessee before transferring to Arizona Western Community College for a season. He then transferred to Alabama last season and figured to compete for the starting job this season at left tackle. 

Coaches and teammates were stunned by the news, and have been trying to cope with the stunning death. 

Former teammate Greg McElroy and Douglas' coach at Tennessee, Lane Kiffin, both reacted to the news via Twitter.

McElroy tweeted: 

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"RIP Aaron Douglas. Enjoyed what little time I spent with you and I know you will be watching over us."

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Kiffin also tweeted:

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"Just heard the horrible news of tragic incident w/Aaron Douglas. He was a great kid w/a huge heart. My thoughts & prayers r w/David & Karla."

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Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban released a statement today as well, expressing his grief over the death:

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"It is a tragedy anytime you lose someone close to you and even more so when it is a member of your family. Aaron was a part of our family and always will be a part of our family at Alabama. He was an outstanding young man and we were excited about what he had accomplished as a player and a person in the short time he was with us.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, David and Karla, who are two of the best people you will ever meet and the love they had for their son was something very special. As a father, there is nothing we can say to describe the loss of a son. Our Alabama family has sustained a tragic loss and the Alabama family is grieving that loss. We will be here to support Aaron's family in any way we can."

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Whenever a college athlete dies, it's a dark day for the sports world. Douglas was a kid with a bright future next season, and his death represents a tremendous loss. 

Rivalries melt away when a tragedy like this befalls a team. Suddenly, the hatred and the vitriol spewed one way and the other seem trivial, and you see athletes from both sides offering support and grieving the loss. 

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Douglas' parents and the Alabama football program.