Oregon State defensive tackle Fred Thompson died of an apparent heart attack Wednesday night after he collapsed while playing basketball at a campus recreation center.
Thompson was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 7 p.m. local time.
The university said it planned to hold a news conference Thursday to discuss the freshman defensive tackle’s death.
Brandon Sprague, a local reporter, tweeted that he “talked with Fred a month ago. Told him a lot of people thought he could be a BIG time player at OSU. He just looked at me wide-eyed and said, ‘Man, just being here is a blessing. The fact that people believe in me, means everything.'”
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