Shutterstock
Bryce Gowdy, a four-star Georgia Tech football commit, tragically passed away just days before he was set to travel to Atlanta, Georgia to begin his freshman year. According to The Sun-Sentinel, Gowdy was fatally struck by a freight train at 4:00 a.m. ET on Monday, December 30.
The 17-year-old wide receiver and defensive back was a standout player for the Deerfield Beach High School Bucks and had accepted a full scholarship from the Yellow Jackets.
Gowdy’s family said that he was already packed for his move to Atlanta.
“Our entire Georgia Tech football family is devastated by the news of Bryce’s passing,” Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins wrote in a statement. “Bryce was an outstanding young man with a very bright future. He was a great friend to many, including many of our current and incoming team members….Bryce and his family will always be a part of the Georgia Tech football family.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/B3M6u1wAjX0/
Gowdy also had offers from the Auburn Tigers, Arkansas Razorbacks, Syracuse Orange, and West Virginia Mountaineers. The 6-foot-3 standout was the No. 6 prospect in Broward County entering his final season at Deerfield Beach, where he was a four-year starter. Overall, he was the 54th-ranked pass catcher in the nation.
“He always seemed easygoing, easy to get along with,” Dave Brousseau, a mentor to players at Deerfield Beach, told the Sentinel. “He was one of the leaders of the team. He was one of the guys who, when they were getting ready pre-game, he was always getting them fired up. So you got the indication he was clearly one of the leaders on the team.”
On the day before his death, Gowdy tweeted: “Family matters, can’t wait to get to the ATL soon!”
Our deepest condolences go out to Gowdy’s family and friends during this incredibly difficult and tragic time.
