Tyrone Duplessis Dead: Louisiana Tech Running Back Dies At 21

RUSTON, La. (AP) -- Louisiana Tech running back Tyrone Duplessis has been found dead at his off-campus apartment.

Hazel Woods, the chief investigator for the Lincoln Parish coroner's office, says the cause of death is not yet known and an autopsy is pending.

The 21-year-old Duplessis, whose body was found Thursday morning, recently completed his sophomore season of eligibility. Louisiana Tech spokesman Patrick Walsh says coach Sonny Dykes has informed the team, which was expected to have a meeting later Thursday. The university has also made grief counselors available to the team.

Duplessis, who is from New Orleans, played in two games last season as he sought to come back from a knee injury that sidelined him in 2010. As a true freshman in 2009, he had 70 carries for 277 yards.

Comments

[LSULinebacker64]

10:08 AM on 02/05/2012

There have been other that have lost their lives just to this type of activity in life... An individual does look strong, active, and health just with the actions you see them... But still nothing is none what might be inside ones body or mind... Health check can be made but still things can be missed without noticing...

Example your cleared to play, but it only take one bad hit at that certain part of your body an something may or can go wrong...

Take it myself, I've played sports all my life when I was young as a child, teenager, into my 20's part 30's... I'm 47 today... But in all that time, I have Epilepsy all my life since I been 9 months old... You can look at me and you'd never notice... I'm very strong and capable for who I am compared to others... Just talking of those with their capabilities but still don't notice their true health...

[annasophie1228]

05:43 PM on 02/03/2012

i am becoming a bit of a conspiracy theorist: there is something up with the high school farming system that is manifesting in these young men by the time they reach the collegiate level. performance enhancing drugs is my chief suspicion.

that said, i am hopeful that whatever physical they undergo for NCAA eligibility doubles up on the cardiological and blood screening.

this is a story i'm tired of reading about because it is sad and tragic. but, as stephen says below, no one knows the day or the hour.

[snapper123]

01:41 PM on 02/03/2012

It is always very sad when a young person passes. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

[Lea Ann Stuckey]

11:53 AM on 02/03/2012

I am so sorry for your loss . . prayers headed your way .

[MNUSA]

10:34 PM on 02/02/2012

What a horrible shock for his family and friends. My heart goes out to them. Regardless of the cause of death, it is a terrible thing for such a young person to die.

[olitenup]

08:35 PM on 02/02/2012

Oh dear. Condolences to family and friends.

[Shewolf68]

08:13 PM on 02/02/2012

Are these colleges screening these kids for underlying heart conditions or are they just willing to roll the dice ultimately at these kids' expenses?

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

08:08 PM on 02/02/2012

Was a flag thrown?

too early???

SORRY!

[inkhosi]

07:58 PM on 02/02/2012

An unusual number of college football players have died over the duration of the past year. I keep saying this, and people keep saying, "it's coincidental"...but it's not.

[spytheweb]

05:52 PM on 02/02/2012

Does anyone do any real reporting anymore? google Tyrone Duplessis and you'll get a 100 kickbacks, they're all the same story, almost word for word.

We don't have news reporters we have news repeaters.

[MISTERUNCONVENTIONAL]

08:12 PM on 02/02/2012

The value of a news story today is DEMONSTRATED by how widely it is republished, carried, plagiarized, etc.

That makes it tough to track down the original article, which may have additional details added as the story develops.

The bottom line is that aggregating news, like AP, or Huffpo, ...does is a lot more profitable than actually hiring reporters and gathering it. Hence the demise of so many small papers.

The future will include a lot of "citizen contributors" where hopefully, actual reporters get paid-per--click on EVERY instance of their story. Even .01 per click would add up, and someday make reporting a job professional writers would once again want to have.

[tomsawyer14]

05:11 PM on 02/02/2012

Is it bad when the first thing that comes to mind for me these days when an athlete dies is "man, I hope it wasn't another case of drug abuse, undiagnosed head injury or undiagnosed heart problem"?

I feel for the player's family and team, and hope it was none of the above.

[MinisterMelinda]

06:40 PM on 02/02/2012

I thought the same thing. I too hope it is none of the above.

[BlueZoo]

06:38 PM on 02/02/2012

If that was supposed to be amusing, it isn't. It's ignorant and demeaning to all of those who suffered so badly because of that hurricane. People DIED!

[T Smackatear]

08:55 AM on 02/03/2012

Waah Waah Waah!

[fishwife]

07:22 PM on 02/02/2012

You are a complete bore

[tpeserik]

09:00 PM on 02/02/2012

I think you meant "boor." Unless you found his comment boring, then "bore" was correct. Just saying.

[sdanca4]

03:29 PM on 02/02/2012

My heart ache.

[portfolio]

03:05 PM on 02/02/2012

Way too young. A promising life cut so short.

Condolences to family and friends.

[Stephen Stafford]

02:34 PM on 02/02/2012

No one knows the day nor the hour. Still, it is so sad to see one, with all of life's possibilities before him, die; seemingly before his time. I wish peace in these troubling hours to those who mourn this devastating loss.

[YakittyGirl]

05:34 PM on 02/02/2012

Well stated.

[a hyatt]

11:04 PM on 02/02/2012

I agree.

[Tea for me]

08:39 PM on 02/02/2012

Aw, Stephen....you always express the thoughts many of us cannot put into words....((hugs))..Tea