Georgia Tech recruit, 17, died by suicide, medical examiner's office says

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A Georgia Tech football recruit’s death was ruled a suicide Tuesday, a Florida medical examiner’s office said.

Bryce Gowdy, 17, was killed Monday after he was hit by a freight train. The Broward County Sheriff’s office said in a statement that he was struck by the train in Deerfield Beach and died at a hospital.

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Gowdy was a standout wide receiver for Deerfield Beach High School and was committed to playing at Georgia Tech next season.

“He was one of the leaders of the team,” Dave Brousseau, a Deerfield Beach alumnus who is active with the high school’s football program, told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “He was one of the guys who, when they were getting ready pre-game, he was always getting them fired up.”

According to the newspaper, Gowdy’s mother Shibbon Winelle said in a Facebook video message that her son’s behavior before his death was concerning her. Winelle said Gowdy was struggling with the notion that his family was living out of a car and in a hotel and that he was “talking in circles” and acting “paranoid” at times.

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Yellow Jackets football coach Geoff Collins released a statement on Gowdy’s death.

“Our entire Georgia Tech football family is devastated by the news of Bryce’s passing,” Collins said.

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“Bryce was an outstanding young man with a very bright future. He was a great friend to many, including many of our current and incoming team members. On behalf of our coaches, players, staff and families, we offer our deepest condolences to Bryce’s mother, Shibbon, and his brothers, Brisai and Brayden, as well as the rest of his family members, his teammates and coaches at Deerfield Beach High School, and his many friends. Bryce and his family will always be a part of the Georgia Tech football family.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.