A Mississippi college football player died following a game due to “medical complications.” Emanuell Cooks, a freshman offensive lineman for Mississippi Delta Community College, passed away after the team’s match against Hinds Community College on Thursday.
“Our entire Trojan family is devastated by this loss,” MDCC President Dr. Steven Jones said in a statement. “At this time, our deepest thoughts and prayers are with Emanuell’s family, teammates, coaches, and friends. We will come together as a community to support one another through this tragedy.”
The 6-foot-5, 340-pound Cooks, from Elba, Alabama, was a freshman offensive lineman who appeared in all four games this season for Mississippi Delta (0-4). The college, based in Moorhead, is scheduled to host Itawamba on Sept. 25. Mississippi Delta has offered counseling and support services for students, faculty, and staff.
Hinds President Dr. Stephen Vacik expressed solidarity, stating, “While we as spectators are watching passionately and imagining ourselves as part of the game, it is the players who are giving their all physically. Their safety is always more important than any outcome on the scoreboard… The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hinds CC go out to Emanuell Cooks’ family as well as the entire MS Delta CC team.”
Cooks’ cause of death has not been disclosed. His passing adds to a series of recent fatalities involving young athletes, including Corey Adams, a freshman with the Ole Miss Rebels killed in a Tennessee shooting; Jeremiah Kelly, a Cincinnati offensive lineman who died unexpectedly; Hadden Kelly, a high school golfer in Georgia; and Chase Stegall, a DePaul University student.