College Football Player Collapses Suddenly, Dies at 21

A new report claims that a 21-year-old Arkansas college football player collapsed over the weekend, and died a short time later. 

In a statement posted to Twitter on Sunday from the official account of the Ouachita Baptist University, the school announced that defensive lineman Clark Yarbrough had tragically died. No other details about the cause of death have been officially released. 

“Today the Ouachita community mourns the loss of senior Clark Yarbrough, who died this morning following a sudden collapse,” the statement from the university read. “Join us in praying for his family and friends. More information about campus gatherings following this tragedy will be released soon.”

A message posted to the school’s website explained that the player collapsed, and emergency assistance was immediately provided by the school and followed quickly by emergency responders. Yarbrough was transported to Baptist Health Medical Center in Arkadelphia where he was later pronounced dead.

The message shared by the school honored Yarbrough, calling him a humble leader and more. 

“Clark was an exemplary student – academically, athletically and spiritually,” Dr. Rickey Rogers, vice president for student development at Ouachita shared. “He held strongly to his Christian faith, and it was evident in the way he lived his life and led his fellow students.”

Todd Knight, Yarbrough’s head coach, said the late player was “that kind of young man, always thinking and preparing for what’s next.”

“He wanted to be an athletic director and was already making plans for internships and graduate school,” Knight shared, as he explained that the late football player lived out his favorite Bible verse, James 4:10. The verse reads, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

One of Yarbrough’s teammate’s Jason Jackson called the Tigers player “a special kind of guy” who always made him feel welcome. He said that Clark was “a real brother in Christ at a brand-new university where, at first, I felt like I was all alone. Clark was my first friend when I got here, and I will cherish him forever.”