Jamain Stephens, a football player at California University of Pennsylvania, died Tuesday from complications of COVID-19, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported. He was 20.
The senior reserve defensive lineman appeared in 32 games for the school, which is located about 35 miles from where his father, also named Jamain Stephens, played for the Pittsburgh Steelers in the late 1990s.
“Jamain was such a wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you saw him,” Cal U athletic director Karen Hjerpe said in a statement. “His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met.”
The NCAA tweeted condolences.
“We join Cal U in mourning the loss of Jamain Stephens,” it wrote. “Our thoughts are with his family, friends and teammates during this time.”
Fond remembrances filled the Facebook page of Stephens’ high school, Central Catholic in Pittsburgh, where he was known as “Juice” in helping his team to a state championship.
Cal U, a Division II school, was not playing football this fall due to the coronavirus pandemic, USA Today noted. Its league, the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, suspended competition earlier in the summer.
Stephens was majoring in business administration.
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