Austin Peay freshman football player Jeremiah Collins died Friday night in what the Associated Press is reporting as a single-car crash in Clarksville, Tenn. Collins was treated at the scene of the crash but was pronounced dead after being transported to a local hospital.
“We are all devastated and heartbroken by the loss of Jeremiah Collins,” Austin Peay coach Scotty Walden said in a statement released by the school. “Jeremiah was an exceptional young man who brought incredible vision and energy every day. We mourn the Collins family for their terrible loss and lift them up in prayer.”
Police said, according to ESPN, that Collins was speeding at the time of the crash, although there were no signs of impaired driving. Collins was 18 years old.
“All our thoughts and prayers are with the Collins family today,” Austin Peay athletic director Gerald Harrison said in a statement. “We are deeply saddened by Jeremiah’s terrible loss, and will do all we can to support his friends, family and teammates at this time.”
Collins, part of Austin Peay’s 2023 signing class, graduated this spring from Oakland High School in Murfreesboro, Tenn., where he was part of a team that won a state championship in 2022. Austin Peay said it would not be commenting on Collins’ death at this time.
