An Alabama teenager who was set to play college football at UAB has died in what authorities called an accidental drowning in a state park lake.
Jamari Smith, 18, went under the water while swimming with friends at Chewacla State Park in Auburn on Wednesday afternoon, Lee County Coroner Bill Harris said in a statement. Firefighters found him underwater and Smith was rushed to a hospital, where he died.
Smith had just graduated from Lee High School in Montgomery, where he was a star basketball and football player. He was set to attend UAB this fall, where he was expected to play defensive back for the Blazers.
“The big thing for us is just the smile and the interactions, getting to know his family and him,” UAB football coach Bill Clark said. “It was important for him to do well.
“You’ve got a great competitor but I think you’ve got a better person and family who was going to be a part of us. He’ll always be part of our family.”
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