BUFFALO — A promising young football player from Buffalo was found dead in his dorm room at Saint Francis University in Loretta, Pennsylvania.
Now his family is mourning.
Kevon Walker, 18, grew up in Buffalo. Two years ago, he was accepted to Canisius High School and quickly became a standout player on the football team.
He earned a scholarship to Saint Francis to play Division I football. He was so proud, his mother told me.
“He didn’t get a chance to even enjoy it,” said Briana Jacobs.
Jacobs said that her son had been suffering from an ear infection and that his family gave him money to get an antibiotic.
She said she texted with him Sunday night and then didn’t hear from him Monday. Then she later learned he was found unresponsive. She was told that the infection in his ear had spread.
His grandmother, Tasha Dennis, remembered him as “a big giant," and said, “…He's the kid who likes to play and was big like his father.”
“He had the drive of an 18-wheeler with three trailers behind. He wanted to play football. That's all he wanted to do,” said his stepdad, Don Dees.
Kevon’s coach at Canisius, Kraig Kurzanski, said he was a tough and dedicated young man.
"You know, he had a tough upbringing as far as living in the city and he just knew that the best way out was through education," said Kurzanski. "And he was a really good football player which also helped…There's a lot of kids who say that stuff and a lot of kids who don't get to the finish line...Kevon did it and that's what I was most proud of him for."
A Gofundme campaign has been started to support his family.
