A University of Richmond football player died Tuesday.
The Football Championship Subdivision school confirmed in a news release that Augustus "Gus" Lee, a redshirt freshman defensive back from Fairfax, Virginia, died but did not disclose the cause of death.
The Virginia Department of Health's Central District Office of the Chief Medical Examiner did not immediately reply to an email from USA TODAY Sports early Wednesday morning.
The Washington Post reported that Lee, who was just 20 years old, had walked on at Richmond after considering Cornell and Delaware. The 5-foot-11, 190-pound defensive back was the defensive most valuable player of the 2018 spring game and had appeared in all 11 of the Spiders' games this season, playing primarily on special teams.
"Gus was a terrific young man and a great member of our Richmond family," Richmond coach Russ Huesman said in a statement. "His loss is a true tragedy to those who knew and loved him."
The university's president, Ronald A. Crutcher, said in a statement that Lee was an undeclared pre-business major and referred to him as "a good friend."
New York Giants quarterback Kyle Lauletta, who starred at Richmond before being picked in the fourth round of the NFL draft earlier this year, wrote on social media that he "couldn't have asked for a better friend and teammate" than Lee.
"Your loving personality kind spirit will live on forever," Lauletta wrote on Twitter on Tuesday night. "Fly high. Rest in peace my brother."
