IRISH #1 football recruit dies after fall during spring break....

[salsadancer7]

....HOW sad. This kid had everything going for him too.

Irish recruit, 17, dies after fall in Florida
ESPN.com news services

Notre Dame recruit Matt James died Friday in Panama City, Fla., after falling from a hotel balcony, a high school spokesman has confirmed. James, 17, was vacationing in Florida for spring break. A 6-foot-6, 291-pound offensive tackle, James was named USA Today first-team All-American after leading Cincinnati's St. Xavier to a No. 4 ranking in the final state poll.

Students at St. Xavier High School gathered on its football field Friday night to remember James, spokesman Mark Motz said Saturday, according to The Associated Press. James apparently died instantly after he fell from the Days Inn Motel at about 6:30 p.m. ET, police told WJHG-TV in Panama City.

Police had not confirmed James' identity as of Saturday morning, but Motz said the school was "devastated" by the news. Motz said the impromptu vigil was organized as word of James' death spread through social-networking sites such as Facebook.

"When one of their own is in trouble, they band together," Motz said.

The father of fellow Notre Dame recruit and St. Xavier quarterback Luke Massa told the Cincinnati Enquirer that the teammates were among several dozen students on vacation together. "Luke is devastated," Gary Massa told the newspaper. "He lost one of his best friends." James, a senior, chose Notre Dame over Ohio State, committing on Feb. 3 on national signing day. "It was a really tough decision," James said then, according to the Enquirer report. "... I like the situation of being in the first class with Coach [Brian] Kelly there."

James' family learned of his death during a family gathering for the 50th birthday party for one of James' uncles, according to the Chicago Tribune. "His mom and dad were here when they got the call," said Dan Rudolph, father of Irish tight end Kyle Rudolph, according to the Tribune. "The whole James family was here. I can't believe that happened."

Whit Majors, a forensic investigator with the Florida State Medical Examiner's District 14 office, said the person who died was on spring break but did not release his name. The cause of the fall was being investigated, and officials planned to do toxicology tests, Majors said.

James was an all-city and all-state football player for St. Xavier. He also was a member of the high school's varsity basketball team.

"The Notre Dame football program is in a state of disbelief and incredible sadness with the news of this tragic event," Kelly said in a statement.

"Matt was an extremely talented person who was very bright and possessed a great dry sense of humor," Kelly said. "He could not wait to join the Notre Dame family."

James isn't the first spring breaker to die from a balcony fall this year. Brandon Kohler, a 19-year-old from Winder, Ga., died March 24 when he fell from a fifth-floor balcony at the Holiday Terrace Motel in Panama City Beach.

[ame="http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=5051968"]Notre Dame recruit Matt James dies after fall from balcony - ESPN[/ame]

 

[Mr Tony]

damn.....very sad

 

[Ramy]

It is sad. How in the world do you fall from 3 stories?

 

[tigerfan33]

It is sad. How in the world do you fall from 3 stories?

Four words.

Panama City- Spring Break.

Very sad.

 

[vurbano]

He was 17. Was alcohol involved?

 

[tigerfan33]

He was 17. Was alcohol involved?

Yep. CBS just reported he was drunk and was leaning over the rail yelling and shaking his finger to the people in the next room and fell. They say it was from the fith floor.

 

[lakebum431]

He was 17. Was alcohol involved?

Would it be spring break if there wasn't?

 

[salsadancer7]

Yep. CBS just reported he was drunk and was leaning over the rail yelling and shaking his finger to the people in the next room and fell. They say it was from the fith floor.

ALL his friends are responsible for this. I NEVER let a friend get THAT crap faced BEFORE getting a sweet full ride like Notre Dame.

YEAH, no one put a gun to his head to get THAT drunk....but where was the real friend to STOP him?

 

[yaz96]

ALL his friends are responsible for this. I NEVER let a friend get THAT crap faced BEFORE getting a sweet full ride like Notre Dame.

YEAH, no one put a gun to his head to get THAT drunk....but where was the real friend to STOP him?

They were probably as drunk as he was......

Dumb jocks.......a sense of entitlement.......a feeling of invincibility.......alcohol and/or drugs......

you'd think you could blame it on youth, but just look at the other indiscretions recently.....it never ends...

and by dumb, I'm thinking of poor judgment.....

This incident is very sad and tragic, but they are all really........

 

[vurbano]

And yet we condone it. Even provide a place for it it happen and hypocritically say "oh its so sad so tragic" when something happens.

 

[salsadancer7]

They were probably as drunk as he was......

Dumb jocks.......a sense of entitlement.......a feeling of invincibility.......alcohol and/or drugs......

you'd think you could blame it on youth, but just look at the other indiscretions recently.....it never ends...

and by dumb, I'm thinking of poor judgment.....

This incident is very sad and tragic, but they are all really........

And yet we condone it. Even provide a place for it it happen and hypocritically say "oh its so sad so tragic" when something happens.

I agree with the both of you. BUT the parent are to blame too. I mean they CANNOT be THAT naive to think the UNDER AGED late teen is NOT going to drink....could they?

 

[John W]

Whatever adult that supplied the alcohol is to blame also. That person will probably end up doing some time. I will never buy for anyone that is underage and as I look back I can't believe anyone ever bought for me the few times that I did get alcohol before I was 21.

From what I have heard he was a well respected kid at his high school and the community but then again I have never heard anyone say anything bad about a young adult that died tragically.

 

[Derwin0]

Dumb jocks.......a sense of entitlement.......a feeling of invincibility.......alcohol and/or drugs......

This has nothing to do with him being a jock or any sense of entitlement. Kids get drunk in PC all the time on Spring Break.

I blame it on the city. When Ft. Lauderdale and the Atlantic coast cracked down on spring breakers, PC welcomed them with open arms and turns a blind eye to underage drinkers.

This case is not unique, it happens almost every year down there, the only difference was this kid had a full ride to Notre Dame.

 

[HD MM]

Those blaming the city, parents or vendor who ultimately sold the kid the booze are being a bit unreal. Was it that long ago you were that age? Most kids drink before they turn 21. It's a fact of life. And for the most part, it's their own decision to do so or not. Mom and Dad aren't going to be with them their entire childhood. It's just not realistic. The underage kids who get hooked up by a friend who works at a liquor store or an older brother who buys it for them; guess what? It's not their fault either.

Sure the incident that resulted was unfortunate, but it's no one but the victims own fault. Did the kid mean to fall off a balcony to his ultimate demise? No. It was an accident pure and simple. Like it or not, underage drinking will still continue throughout the end of time. Blaming someone else makes us feel better, but we must be realistic. Kids drink. Accidents happen.

 

[salsadancer7]

Those blaming the city, parents or vendor who ultimately sold the kid the booze are being a bit unreal. Was it that long ago you were that age? Most kids drink before they turn 21. It's a fact of life. And for the most part, it's their own decision to do so or not. Mom and Dad aren't going to be with them their entire childhood. It's just not realistic. The underage kids who get hooked up by a friend who works at a liquor store or an older brother who buys it for them; guess what? It's not their fault either.

Sure the incident that resulted was unfortunate, but it's no one but the victims own fault. Did the kid mean to fall off a balcony to his ultimate demise? No. It was an accident pure and simple. Like it or not, underage drinking will still continue throughout the end of time. Blaming someone else makes us feel better, but we must be realistic. Kids drink. Accidents happen.

EVERYONE had a part in his death. You stating nothing will happen or should happen because "it is what it is"?

Do you have kids?

 

[HD MM]

EVERYONE had a part in his death. You stating nothing will happen or should happen because "it is what it is"?

Do you have kids?

No I don't have kids, but it wasn't that long ago that I was 17 either. (11 years ago).

I can tell you this. When I was 17, I could decide on my own whether I should get s* faced drunk or not. If something happened as a result, it was my own fault, not Mom, Dad or an older brother.

 

[John W]

Well damn then, I am going to go hang out by the liquor store tonight and offer to buy for all the kids that pass by

 

[HD MM]

Well damn then, I am going to go hang out by the liquor store tonight and offer to buy for all the kids that pass by

You didn't get my point. I'm obviously not condoning the sale of alcohol to underage kids. What I am saying is that kids will get their hands on alcohol and possibly even worse things (drugs) whether they have to try multiple sources before they are successful or whether or not they have parental approval. My point is that we can't be naive to think we can stop it either.

The bottom line is this: It all comes down to personal accountability.

 

[riffjim4069]

Those blaming the city, parents or vendor who ultimately sold the kid the booze are being a bit unreal. Was it that long ago you were that age? Most kids drink before they turn 21. It's a fact of life. And for the most part, it's their own decision to do so or not. Mom and Dad aren't going to be with them their entire childhood. It's just not realistic. The underage kids who get hooked up by a friend who works at a liquor store or an older brother who buys it for them; guess what? It's not their fault either.

Sure the incident that resulted was unfortunate, but it's no one but the victims own fault. Did the kid mean to fall off a balcony to his ultimate demise? No. It was an accident pure and simple. Like it or not, underage drinking will still continue throughout the end of time. Blaming someone else makes us feel better, but we must be realistic. Kids drink. Accidents happen.

Agreed! I've seen both good and bad kids repeat these "foolishing of youth" mistakes time and time again. Most young adults feel they are invincible at their age and, regardless of what you tell them or the examples you try to show them, they unfortunately learn only by living though such tragedies. Regardless, my heart goes out to the family.

 

[salsadancer7]

No I don't have kids, but it wasn't that long ago that I was 17 either. (11 years ago).

I can tell you this. When I was 17, I could decide on my own whether I should get s* faced drunk or not. If something happened as a result, it was my own fault, not Mom, Dad or an older brother.

No...but MOM and DAD could NOT let you go OR they COULD NOT give you money TO GO. That simple. IF you went on YOUR OWN and paid for it with YOUR MONEY...they yeah, you have NO ONE to blame but yourself.

And as far as friends......IF you are not part of THE SOLUTION, you are part of the problem. YEAH, I drank in my teen age days, but then again, when I turned 18, the legal limit was 18.....

I would never let ANYONE else drink to the point of never remembering what they did the previous day.....EVER.

...but then again, that is me.