According to the school and police, jeremiah collins, an 18-year-old freshman football player for austin peay, died after a single-car accident on friday.
According to a metro nashville police release, collins was driving a 2004 gmc canyon pickup truck at a high speed in clarksville, tennessee, near the austin peay campus when his vehicle left the road and rolled several times before settling in a grass field.
Collins was admitted to a nearby hospital where he died.
At the scene, police said there were no signs of injury.
In a statement, head football coach scott walden said, “we are all devastated and saddened by the loss of jeremiah collins.
” “jeremiah was a remarkable young man with an incredible attitude and enthusiasm every day.
” We mourn with the collins family for their tragic death and we remember them in prayer.
Austin Peay athletic director Gerald Harrison said “all of our thoughts and prayers are with the Collins Family today.”
“We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of Jeremiah, and we will do everything we can to support his friends, family, and teammates at this time,” he added.
Collins played his high school senior season at Murfressboro Oakland in Tennessee, as he had a big impact with the Patriots during their third consecutive Class 6 A state championship season in 2022. He had originally committed to Louisville, but later signed with Austin Peay.
“(Collins) was a huge asset to our championship run, but had a bigger impact in our locker room,” Oakland coach Kevin Creasy told the Murfreesboro Daily News Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network. “Jeremiah was a tremendous player but an even better teammate. This terrible news has made all of us sick and heartbroken.”
Collins was set to be a defensive back for Austin Peay. The Governors open their season at Southern Illinois on Sept. 2.
