The Southern Highland Reader

SYLVA–Ja’Quayvin Smalls, a Western Carolina University football recruit who died during an off-season team workout, passed away from “acute lethal cardia dysrhythmia due to cardiomyopathy” according to autopsy results released today.

Smalls also carried the sickle cell trait, according to Dr. Wm. Lawrence Selby, who performed the autopsy at Harris Regional Hospital.

In his report, Dr. Selby noted that Smalls had “a history of sickle cell trait, past positive PPD, and irregular heartbeat with PVC’s during fever approximately 5 years earlier.”

Selby told Tyler Norris Goode and Jon Ostendorf of the Asheville Citizen-Times that he had no clear evidence that the sickle cell trait played a role in Smalls’ death. At question in the national sports media after Smalls’ July death was whether testing for the sickle cell trait — which WCU did not perform — might’ve prevented the death.

Coverage from the Asheville Citizen-Times here.

MOUNT PLEASANT,SC–The Charleston Post Courier covers the funeral of Ja’Quayvin Smalls, a Western Carolina football player who passed away during an off-season workout last week. Some 45 WCU players and coaches attended the funeral.

In addition, the university announced ways it will remember Smalls during the upcoming season:

As is customary with the passing of any currently enrolled student, the Western Carolina University flag at the main entrance to the university campus was flown at half staff on Monday in remembrance of Smalls.

For the upcoming 2009 football season, the Western Carolina team plans to wear “JS” decals on the back of every helmet in memory of Smalls. His locker inside the Dale and Dianne Hollifield Locker Room in the Ramsey Center will not be reassigned and will be memorialized to include his helmet, uniform and any additional game-day equipment.

In addition, there also will be a one-year moratorium on the use of the No. 3 jersey that would have been worn by Smalls.

Notes: Smalls’ funeral was today, in Mt. Pleasant, SC. No cause has been established in Smalls’ death, although an autopsy has been performed. Results from the autopsy will be announced within three weeks. Some of the follow-up stories in the media use his death as an opportunity to discuss heat-related deaths among football players (AP story below), but this cause seems unlikely in this case; temperatures were cool and the workout not particularly strenuous, according to the university.

Asheville Citizen-Times: Witness accounts
Asheville Citizen-Times: Autopsy performed Thursday
Sporting News: Sickle cell disease?
Charleston Post Courier: Follow up (Smalls was from the Charleston area)
Asheville Citizen-Times: Follow up
Associated Press: Cut back on two-a-days
Asheville Citizen-Times: News reporter Jon Ostendorf on possible physical causes.

CULLOWHEE–Western Carolina University football player Ja’Quayvin Smalls, a newly-enrolled transfer from Georgia Military College, died Wednesday at Harris Regional Hospital.

Smalls, participating in his first conditioning workout with the Catamounts, stopped breathing while being treated for cramps. He was administered CPR by athletic training staff and reportedly briefly revived before medical personnel arrived, but was pronounced dead at Harris Regional at 7:30pm.

“Any loss of life is a tragedy, but it is especially tragic when someone is taken from us at such a young age,” said Chip Smith, WCU director of athletics. “Our hearts and prayers are with the family and friends of Ja’Quayvin, and with his coaches and teammates.”

Smalls, from Mt. Pleasant, SC, is survived by his parents Henry and LaSonia Smalls and two younger siblings, Jarrel and Ja’Keil.