Liberty University mourns death of freshman football player

Liberty University is mourning the death of Tajh Boyd, a freshman offensive lineman on the Flames’ football team.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes, Tajh Boyd,” the school wrote on Instagram last Sunday. “We thank God for bringing Tajh into our Liberty athletics community, and we will always remember him as a Flame. Tajh will be missed dearly. Our thoughts and prayers are with Tajh’s family, his teammates and friends, our football coaching staff, as well as our entire athletics department and the greater Liberty University community. We grieve together as a family and will seek guidance, comfort and understanding from the Lord during these difficult times.”

While speculation swirls around the cause, a spokesperson for Lynchburg police said the department looked into the circumstances and determined a criminal investigation was unnecessary.

Boyd drew inspiration from his mother’s unwavering determination to see him succeed. Being raised single-handedly by his mother, he regarded her as the strongest person he knew. “She never gave up,” Boyd said in his conversation with Liberty University, reflecting on his mother’s resilience.

https://twitter.com/LibertyFlames/status/1688233508097921024

Liberty head coach Jamey Chadwell and athletic director Ian McCaw said in a joint statement that “Tajh joined our Liberty football family as recently as January and his impact on the program will be felt for years to come.”

The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Boyd, a native of Chesapeake, Va., signed with Liberty out of Oscar F. Smith High School as part of the 2023 recruiting class. During his high school career, Boyd led his team to back-to-back state championships, earning him a three-star prospect rating in the most recent recruiting class. He had received offers from several universities, including Duke, Maryland and Virginia Tech.

The university community expressed its grief and offered condolences to Boyd’s family. Conference USA, which welcomed Liberty into the conference this summer, also expressed its sorrow. “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Liberty football student-athlete Tajh Boyd,” the conference said in a statement. “Our thoughts are with the Boyd family and Flames nation during this difficult time.”

Boyd’s aspirations extended beyond the football field. He had expressed a desire to become a computer science engineer after graduation. The university has not released further details about his death.

–Alan Goforth | Metro Voice