Nicholas Turner, a defensive end for the Northwest Missouri State football team, was found dead in his dorm room on Sunday, the university announced.
Turner's death is under investigation, though foul play is not suspected.
A junior, Turner had most recently played in the Bearcats' national championship matchup against Shepherd University, a game in which he recorded a sack. For the 2015 season, Turner had collected 22 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks.
He was to attend an event with teammates at the Lamkin Activity Center on campus in order to celebrate Northwest Missouri State's Division II National Championship, but about an hour into the event Bearcats head coach Adam Dorrell announced that the event needed to come to a close due to "unforeseen circumstances."
Turner's death is actually the second to rock the school in the last two weeks. Freshman Haily Hayes was also found dead in her on-campus residence on Jan. 17, as noted by Fox4KC.
The university has planned a gathering to honor Tuner at 7 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 1, in the J.W. Jones Student Union Ballroom.
