Portland State linebacker A.J. Schlatter was one of the rising defensive players for the Portland State football team. The freshman was fourth on the team in tackles with 62, and he added 6.5 tackles for loss to that total.
Sadly, Schlatter passed away on Sunday after complications from routine throat surgery — a tonsillectomy. Schlatter's father posted to Facebook that he believes his son developed a blood clot after the surgery, and that the younger Schlatter was unable to be resuscitated.
Portland State released a statement after Schlatter's passing:
AJ was a vital part of the Viking football team and just completed his redshirt freshman season. He started 10 games for the Vikings in 2015 making 62 tackles from his linebacker position. AJ was named Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week following an outstanding performance in a win over Eastern Washington on Nov. 21. He had 12 tackles, two sacks, intercepted a pass and forced a fumble in the game.
The loss is a big blow to Portland State after a successful season in 2015. The Vikings were 9-3 out of the Big Sky in the FCS, but the program's real highlight was a 24-17 win over Washington State on September 5. Portland State actually had two wins against FBS programs this season, as they also won a 66-7 blowout over North Texas this season.
