A medical examiner has discovered that a Liberty University student and football player died from suicide.
The medical examiner’s office within the Virginia Department of Health’s Western District discovered that Tajh Boyd, a freshman offensive lineman at the Christian university in Lynchburg, VA, died as a result of suicide, according to WAVY News. Boyd was described as always being “there for others” by Jamey Chadwell, the head football coach at Liberty University, according to 13NewsNow.
After the medical examiner’s discovery last week, the office said in another statement to The Daily Mail that Boyd had died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“I spoke to his mom and dad a couple of times to offer support,” said Chadwell. “They know he was loved here… He loved fashion and clothes. He was quiet in the halls, but when he was with his team, he lit up the room. He was always there for others.”
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the loss of one of our student-athletes, Tajh Boyd.
— Liberty Flames (@LibertyFlames) August 6, 2023
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.
🔗: https://t.co/2LSS6Uhe7d pic.twitter.com/ehQV0EZHtS
Chadwell said there was “no playbook, no map, to figure out how to deal with circumstances like this… you don’t have a lot of time to grieve,” regarding the tragic death of Boyd.
“I’ve tried not to mask what I’m feeling. If there are days I’m not doing well, I let ’em know. Hopefully, they can see it’s alright to let me know if they’re feeling the same way,” Chadwell said, adding that he and the administration were reaching out to Liberty University’s athletes to offer support and let them know that there were resources available to help them through their grief.
Liberty University announced the passing of Boyd in a press release on Aug. 6, adding that when you join the university, “you immediately become a part of the Liberty University family and something truly special.”
“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,” Liberty University said.