Mississippi State Football Player Samuel Westmoreland Dead at 18: 'A Tremendous Young Man'

Mar. 15, 2025

Samuel Westmoreland, an offensive lineman for the MSU Bulldog football team and an industrial technology major, has died, theschool announcedon Wednesday. He was 18.

The university did not reveal the cause or any details surrounding Westmoreland’s death. In a statement, the university said they are “working cooperatively with the Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office, the Oktibbeha County Coroner’s Office, the MSU Division of Student Affairs, and the MSU Athletics Department to determine the facts of this incident.”

Westmoreland was from Tupelo, Mississippi and graduated from Tupelo High School.

MSU Head Football Coach Mike Leachshared a tributeto the athlete on Twitter.

“The entire MSU Family mourns as our thoughts and prayers go out to the Westmoreland family. Our highest priority is the support of the Westmoreland family and our student-athletes during this troubling time,” he wrote.

Sam Westmoreland.samuel westmoreland/Twitter

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MSU President Mark E. Keenum also shared his thoughts in the statement from the school. “One of the most profound lessons I’ve learned while leading this great university is that the tragic loss of one of our students diminishes all of our students — and all of us at Mississippi State feel the impact of Sam Westmoreland’s death,” he said.

“My prayers are with Sam’s family and friends, with his MSU teammates and coaches, and with the Tupelo community during this most difficult time.”

source: people.com