Owen Coyne, a Massachusetts high school football captain who had committed to play at Williams College, has died after a sudden brain hemorrhage, his mother announced.
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Coyne was a senior at Marblehead High School, where he also competed in baseball and track. His mother, Angela Paradise, said the hemorrhage was not caused by an impact, according to the Marblehead Current.
"It is with profound sadness and indescribable grief that we share that Owen passed away after a sudden brain hemorrhage," Paradise wrote in a tribute shared with the newspaper.
She remembered her son as a devoted older brother to his three siblings, a sailing instructor and a student-athlete who had worked hard for the opportunity to attend Williams.
A campus visit had convinced the family he had found his next home, she wrote. Coyne planned to continue his education and football career there next fall.
"That we will never see our Owie pursue his college dreams after working so very hard throughout high school to earn his spot at Williams is beyond heartbreaking," Paradise wrote.
His coaches also shared tributes, remembering both his athletic accomplishments and how he treated others.
Track and field coach Nolan Raimo said Coyne ranked among the school's top 10 sprinters and high jumpers. He was expected to serve as a captain during the upcoming indoor track season.
"He was the epitome of a student-athlete," Raimo said.
Baseball coach Mike Giardi expressed condolences to Coyne's family, friends and teammates.
"Owen was a great baseball player, but an even better person," Giardi wrote.
