ND Recruit Matt James Falls, Dies on Spring Break
http://www.wjhg.com/news/headlines/89811577.html
It happened about 6:25 at the Days Inn on Front Beach Road. Panama City Beach police say the 17 year old is from Cincinnati, Ohio. The teen fell from a third floor balcony of the Days Inn motel on Front Breach Road at Clara Ave.details of the fall are still coming in. He died almost instantly. Check back for more details as soon as they become available. . Police have not released the identity of the victim until his relatives are notified. Just within the past week a Georgia spring breaker died in a five story fall from a balcony at the Tropical Breeze motel, just about a mile from The Days Inn where tonight's mishap occured. Panama City Beach police are continuing to investigate details surrounding the tragedyThe person in question is very likely Matt James, an OT from the last recruiting cycle. Tragic news, thoughts and prayers to his family. EDIT: its been confirmed
Definitely, that's very, very unfortunate. Total bummer.
Death is always hard, but never more so than when it happens to those so young.
Sorry to hear that, terrible news.
Yeah...was just coming here to post this.
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story/St-X-Football-Star-Dies-In-Fall…
Ugh. Horrible news.
That is a horrible accident and my thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. There is NOTHING worse than a young individual passing away before they have had a chance to experience life.
Sad news on this good friday
Can't even imagine how awful this is for his family. Huge potential, gone. Very sad.
... but the whole concept of spring break for high school kids is just bizarre to me. The fact that adults condone this event (and the activities that everybody knows occur during this time), is kind of amoral. All to keep their tourism economy strong.
Hopefully alcohol wasn't involved. Anyway, this sucks.
It actually doesn't appear to have been alcohol related, sounds like he fell toward the balcony railing and it gave out.
Was he expected to play as a freshman?
Is that relevant at this point?
I had a cousin who was running down a hallway in college, playing football, and the elevator door at the end of the hall was open - but no elevator - and he fell down the elevator shaft and died. This was 30 years ago, but I bet his parents still haven't gotten over it.
yeah no matter how you try to rationalize it, it still hurts a great deal
are the cases where you look for a reason, but they're so hard to find.
I suffer a pretty nasty genetic disease that was spontaneous in me rather than passed down. It sucks, bad, but without it, I probably would not have met and married the most awesome woman in the world. In a young man's death, reason is that much harder to find. It may, in fact, be so hard, that it's downright impossible. But you have to look for the silver lining wherever it can be found. He was at a truly happy point in his life. Success stretched before him. If I have to go, I hope I go happy, and expecting future happiness.
My heart goes out to his family. I'll pray for them.
You're exactly right
"Unfortunate" because it means his very premature death was probably preventable. Obviously this doesn't make the situation any less sad, but it looks like he was in fact drunk.
http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/2010/04/police-report-james-fell-f…
If those preliminary reports turn out to be correct, it certainly won't be helpful for everyone getting through these next few days.
sad too see kids making wrong choices with drinking...in any event, very sad as the kid had tremendous potential
Condolences to the James' Family. Don't even really know what to say.
RIP.
Our condolences to his friends, and to the entire James family. What an absolute shame. He'll be in our thoughts and prayers.
Damn.
If anyone wants to get their morbid on, here's the story in the local e-paper. Very sad.
http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20100402/SPT030101/304020086/St.+X+s…
When the news was breaking there was talk of Massa falling/injured as well, that being wrong is a bit comforting.
And my condolences go out to the family and the community in this most difficult time; I honestly cannot think of a way that alcohol was not involved in this.
And if there wasn't and the railing just gave, then this is another reason why I try to stay the hell away from balconies. They give me the willies.
I played with Matt James at St. Xavier in Cincinnati, OH. I have a special connection with him specifically since he and I played the same position of Right Tackle when I was a senior and he was a sophomore. We split time playing and over the season we grew to develop a special bond. He truly was a special player for his size and athleticism, but it was his attitude and quiet confidence that enabled him to achieve so much. I am proud of the fact that I got to play with him and share a position on the field with him.
My thoughts definitely go out to the James family. Knowing Matt and his brother Romey personally, they are a first-class family in the Cincinnati community. I cannot even imagine the pain that the James family is going through at this point.
Matt James deserved everything he earned. I know people typically hype up people once they are gone, but in this case Matt James really was special Sports aside, it hurts just to see a young man with his vast potential get cut short in his prime. I am still waiting to hear that this is just a bad joke.
I am student at UofM but I will hopefully be making the trek back to Cincy to pay my respects. Hopefully a few teammates from the 2007 team will organize something. Otherwise I am at a loss for words.
great post,
would you have any idea of a mailing address for his family?
Sad news. I know some kids who attended his high school. Many heartfelt condolensces to the family and anybody else personally affected by his passing.
In my prayers, for true. Very sad.
It's times like this that remind us that football is still just a game and that "rivals" are still fellow human beings. It is, indeed, a sad day.
Horrible news, we had a young man (Jake Logue) at the local high school here in Kingsport, Tennessee (Sullivan South the same school Wisconsin backup QB Curt Phillips attended) who Died on the field during the first game. He had a heart defect and just went limp on a play and never got up. The community and all his classmates are still grieving. I'll be praying for the James family and the whole community.
My condolences to the family.
Very sad. I will offer my prayers for him and his family this Easter.
Saw this news on another site and figured I'd throw my irrelevant two-cents in here. For some reason these kinds of things occurring right before a kid leaves for a great opportunity in college always hit me hard. Reminds me of kids at my other alma mater (USC) Drean Rucker and Mario Danelo who lost their lives in similar tragic accidents. It saddens me that it some times takes events like this to put life and college athletics in perspective (I've been talking like a jackass all week about how "depressed" I am about the hockey game last Sunday).
I pray the James family can find some peace and comfort during this awful time.
prayers are on the way up right now.
these things are just so hard to hear
I live in Florida, fairly close to Panama City. It seems like something like this happens every year during spring break (albeit usually alcohol related). I wish his family well through this tragedy.
God Bless Matt James, his family, and his friends during this tragic, tragic, ending of a young man's life. By all accounts he seemed to be a great kid too. So sad.
Only the good die young, I suppose, but that doesn't make it any less painful.
Terrible news, his family are in my thoughts and prayers. RIP.
No words can comfort the loved ones at times like these. Just time and prayer. My sincere condolences to the family and friends of this young man. I hope and pray that your healing come soon and that his memory doesn't sting with pain but bring joy and smiles to all who knew him.
My thoughts and prayers will go out to his family.
He went to my high school and we are of course connected through the community.
The entire school and community are mourning this. Just awful.
That sucks.
It's sad that an article that says "The police are not releasing the victim's identity until relatives have been notified" then goes on to say "By the way, it's Matt James."
I don't care if a bunch of people call the station and say who it was. The family of the victims should be told through proper channels - police, family members, etc. - rather than internet/television news reports.
Anyway, what a horrible event. That's obviously every parent's worst nightmare when their kids go on spring break. Sad.
Just another reason why Spring Break should be postponed until the end of university. I am not assuming that alcohol was a factor, but I would assume some shenanigans were going on that led to this tragic event. It's terrible, especially when you find out the kid is still not even 18 years old, just terrible.
for those who keep reposting it bc they don't see this post
hopefully saves lives through his own tragedy
"Witnesses and friends indicate he had become drunk and belligerent," Humphreys said. "He had leaned over the balcony rail, was shaking his finger at the people in the next room over. He fell over." Humphreys said the railing at the hotel met the standards for proper height. He said police would be interested in pursuing charges if it was learned who provided the underage teen with alcohol.http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5053059
"Witnesses and friends indicate he had become drunk and belligerent..."
sigh
My prayers go out to Matt's friends and family. This is truly awful. I couldn't help but think unfortunately that when I was 17, if I asked my parents to go to Panama City of all places for SB, they would still be laughing at me to this day. While I hate to speculate before the facts are released, the parents deserve some of the blame here, he obviously wasn't going to Panama City to drink Sprite. 17 years old, this is just terrible.