South Florida football player dies after being hit by train

DEERFIELD BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A star high school football player in South Florida was killed Monday after he was hit by a freight train.

Bryce Gowdy, 17, died at a hospital after he was struck by a freight train in Deerfield Beach, the Broward County Sheriff’s Office said in a statement.

The sheriff’s office said it was investigating the events surrounding Gowdy’s death, and that the cause and manner of death would be determined by the medical examiner’s office.

Gowdy was a wide receiver and defensive back for Deerfield Beach High School.

“He was one of the leaders of the team,” Dave Brousseau, a Deerfield Beach alumnus still active with the program, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “He was one of the guys who, when they were getting ready pre-game, he was always getting them fired up.”

Gowdy was signed to play for Georgia Tech.

On Monday, Georgia Tech coach Geoff Collins tweeted, “We are heartbroken. Bryce will always be a part of our Georgia Tech Football Family. We will be praying for him and all those who love him.”