STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) – Jordan Wiggins, a freshman offensive lineman for the Georgia Southern football team, died Monday. He was 18.
According to the Georgia Southern Athletic department, a family member requested campus police conduct a welfare check at his residence hall in Statesboro.
Around 6 p.m. Monday, officers found Wiggins unresponsive. He was taken to a nearby hospital where he later passed away.
Wiggins’ death has been ruled a suicide, according to the Bulloch County Coroner. A toxicology report is being conducted and those results could be several months away.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called to investigate alongside the Georgia Southern Police Department, per university protocol.
Wiggins was majoring in Electrical Engineering at Georgia Southern. A Tallahassee native, Wiggins played football at Godby High School and was named to the All-Big Bend first team.
Wiggins’ teammates and those who knew him took to social media to express their sorrow.
Head coach Chad Lunsford released the following statement on Wiggins’ passing:
My heart is broken for Jordan, his family, our team and this university. Jordan was a great Georgia Southern Man with a bright future. His time on Earth was short, but we know that there is a greater plan, and we must trust that. If he was indeed struggling with some personal issues, I wish the resources that we currently provide our students could have helped more. Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone this is affecting.”
Wiggins signed with Georgia Southern in Dec. 2018 and was scheduled to redshirt this season.
In a 2018 interview with his hometown TV station, Wiggins said going to college fulfilled a promise to his mom who he unexpectedly lost that summer.
WTXL named Wiggins “Scholar Athlete of the Week,” highlighting his success on the field and in the classroom. The station reported Wiggins earned a scholarship to Georgia Southern all while balancing a 3.4 GPA.
“The news of his death hit his teammates hard,” a statement from Georgia Southern Athletics reads. “Monday was a scheduled day off from practice for the team, and Tuesday’s practice has been canceled.”
For Georgia Southern students, faculty and staff in need of any counseling services, call 912-478-5541 (Statesboro Campus) or 912-344-2529 (Armstrong and Liberty campuses).
After Counseling Center hours, or at any time if you feel someone you know may be in a dangerous situation, contact Georgia Southern University Police at 912-478-5234.
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