Former Central Michigan quarterback Tommy Lazzaro tragically passed away after being the victim of a fatal hunting accident this past weekend in Destin, Florida.
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"The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) confirmed with News 10. The incident happened at the Eglin Air Force Base in Walton County, Florida Sunday afternoon and the 27-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene (per WILX-10)."
The specifics of the tragedy are unknown at this time, but the Walton County Sheriff's Office reported that all parties involved remained on scene and have cooperated with the investigation.
Lazzaro, who was nicknamed "Touchdown Tommy," appeared in 20 games for the Chippewas from 2016-2019.
The dual-threat quarterback accumulated 542 yards on the ground to go with 11 rushing touchdowns, in addition to passing for 758 yards and contributing five touchdowns through the air.
During the 2019 season, he helped guide Central Michigan to the MAC championship game with an 8-6 record.
Notably, when Lazzaro was a senior he won the Kurt Dobronski Award, which honors a player who "demonstrates great effort, intensity and appreciation for the Chippewa football program."
That is, former coach Jim McElwain (2019-2024) gave a tribute statement on Lazarro, highlighting the fact that he was an important part of the team's success.
"When we took over the program, Tommy was truly our leader in so many ways," McElwain said. "CMU Football was blessed to have him and will always remember him for all he did for many of us. He will be missed by all of the Chippewas."
After graduating with a degree in entrepreneurship at CMU, Lazarro followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, serving the country as an army U.S. sergeant.
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