Tragedy has struck the University of Missouri football team as one of its players died yesterday. Redshirt freshman Aaron O’Neal died Tuesday after a voluntary workout at Faurot Field. O’Neal went on an hour-long run, but had to be helped to the locker room by a teammate. He apparently went into cardiac arrest some time later and was taken to the hospital. He died there soon after. He was 19 years old.
In a statement released by the university last night, head coach Gary Pinkel said,” “I can’t begin to express how deeply saddened we are by this loss. Aaron was a quality young man who was well-liked and respected by his teammates and coaches. We are all very shocked and hurt right now, but the most important thing we can do is to focus on Aaron’s family and to assist them any way we can. I ask that people respect the private nature of this tragedy right now, as we all do what we can to be there for everyone impacted by this loss.”
O’Neal, who slated as the third-string linebacker at MU this season, was a star at Parkway North High School in the St. Louis area.