Liberty University is mourning the death of Tajh Boyd, a 19-year-old freshman offensive lineman on the football team.
The Christian university in Virginia said Aug. 6 that Boyd died only weeks before the season is set to begin on Sept. 2. No details or cause of death has been released.
"We thank God for bringing Tajh into our Liberty Athletics community and we will always remember him as a Flame," Liberty athletic director Ian McCaw and head football coach Jamey Chadwell said in a statement. "Tajh will be missed dearly."
Boyd had been with the program since January, according to the statement.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of @LibertyFootball student-athlete Tajh Boyd," Conference USA said in a statement. "Our thoughts are with the Boyd family and Flames nation during this difficult time."
The 6-foot-4, 295-pound freshman came to the Flames after helping lead Oscar F. Smith High School in Chesapeake, Virginia, to consecutive state championships, according to his bio on the school's website. He was a three-star recruit who had 12 other scholarship offers before deciding on Liberty.
Boyd, who was set to turn 20 on Aug. 20, was an interdisciplinary studies major at Liberty who aspired to be a computer science engineer.
He cited his mother as his biggest inspiration.
"She raised me by herself with no help and she the strongest person I know," he said on the school's website.