The football team at Liberty University (LU) is mourning the loss of Tajh Boyd, one of the team’s players. Boyd, a freshman at the school, passed away earlier this month, and a medical examiner has reported that Boyd died by suicide, according to WTVR.
Boyd was an offensive lineman for the team. After multiple college scholarship offers from Bowling Green, Buffalo, Campbell, Duke, Jackson State, James Madison, Maine, Maryland, Morgan State, Norfolk State, North Carolina A&T, and Virginia Tech, Boyd chose to attend LU.
When asked why he chose LU, Boyd simply mentioned, “Power 5 facilities, great coaches, great academic advisors, great atmosphere and God-centered—how would I not attend?”
Tajh Boyd, Football Freshman at Liberty University, Dies by Suicide
Boyd made it a habit to pray before every game. “I do that because anything could go wrong and if you ask God to cover you in Jesus’ blood everything will go your way or the best way that God has in store for you,” Boyd shared on his LU athlete bio page.
As an interdisciplinary studies major from Chesapeake, Virginia, Boyd aspired to be a computer science engineer following graduation.
But something happened, and the young athlete died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in early August, as reported by CBS 6 News and 10 WAVY. The Liberty Flames posted, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes, Tajh Boyd.”
LU continued, “We thank God for bringing Tajh into our Liberty Athletics community and we will always remember him as a Flame. Tajh will be missed dearly.”
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes, Tajh Boyd.
We thank God for bringing Tajh into our Liberty Athletics community and we will always remember him as a Flame. Tajh will be missed dearly.
🔗: https://t.co/2LSS6Uhe7d pic.twitter.com/ehQV0EZHtS
— Liberty Flames (@LibertyFlames) August 6, 2023
The football team, student body, and community are all grieving this great loss.
One person commented with encouragement, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. May God give his family and friends the peace of mind that surpasses all understanding in Jesus name I pray. Amen.”
“This is such heartbreaking news,” said another. “I met Tajh at Oscar Smith High School when he was just a sophomore. Our prayers go out to his family and to the @LibertyFootball team and coaches.”
In a press conference, Head Football Coach Jamey Chadwell said, “He made a huge impact on the team. He was very quiet as far as an outwardly quietness, but when he was one-on-one with his teammates, he lit up the room.”
“He had a very giving heart and if there was something that anybody was going through on the team, he was always there. There’s no playbook, no map to figure out how to deal with circumstances like this,” Chadwell continued. “You don’t have a lot of time to grieve.” He complimented the coaching staff and the team, saying that they “come out every day and stick together.”
