Following the shocking death of Alabama offensive lineman Aaron Douglas, both his current and former college head coaches offered their thoughts on the 21-year-old native of Maryville, Tennessee.
Nick Saban, commenting on the tragedy:
"It is a tragedy anytime you lose someone close to you and even more so when it is a member of your family," said UA head football coach Nick Saban. "Aaron was a part of our family and always will be a part of our family at Alabama. He was an outstanding young man and we were excited about what he had accomplished as a player and a person in the short time he was with us.Lane Kiffin recruited Douglas to Tennessee (not that he had to try very hard; both of Douglas's parents were varsity athletes with the Vols), coached him as a freshman All-American, and said this on his Twitter feed:
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, David and Karla, who are two of the best people you will ever meet and the love they had for their son was something very special. As a father, there is nothing we can say to describe the loss of a son. Our Alabama family has sustained a tragic loss and the Alabama family is grieving that loss. We will be here to support Aaron's family in any way we can."
Though the University of Alabama has officially confirmed Douglas's passing, any further details regarding the cause of death (other than its Jacksonville location) remain unavailable at this time.
