NC college football player killed in car crash

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) – A freshman Winston-Salem State University football player who returned home to watch his high school football team in a playoff game was killed in a car crash.

Johnathan Gilmore’s mother Tina Ward tells the Winston-Salem Journal he died Saturday afternoon in Fayetteville.

WSSU coach Kienus Boulware says the backup tight end was “a great kid” who had texted him last week to set up a meeting about what he could do to improve during the off-season.

Gilmore is the second WSSU player to die this year, after defensive end Najee Baker was shot at a party in January.

Secondary and special teams coach Robert Massey says Gilmore “was special” and it’s devastating to have to go through the death of a player again.

Fayetteville police say the crash’s details will be released later this week.