Nearly two weeks after the tragic passing of Louisiana Tech running back Tyrone Duplessis, we finally have an answer as to what took the 21-year-old far too soon from this Earth.
Duplessis’ family released information on Monday that cited a massive heart attack as the cause of death for Tyrone. According to his father, George Duplessis, Jr., Tyrone finished a workout on Feb. 1 before spending the evening with his fiancée.
The next morning, Tyrone woke up in distress, pounded his chest and fell back on to his bed. He was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead shortly after arrival. An autopsy results showed Duplessis had soft tissue on his heart which led to the attack.
Duplessis was laid to rest on Saturday.
“(God) loaned him to me for 21 years,” said Duplessis’ father. “You can’t question the Lord.”
Just breaks your heart.
Obviously, our thoughts and prayers continue to be with the Duplessis family during this difficult time.
Our condolences go forth once again to the family and friends of Tyrone. May the autopsy results give the family and friends peace and quash all comments about drugs.
Our family supports the efforts to have diagnostic machines on site at campuses, both college and high school. This is quite sad for such a young and very fit young man.
For the posters in previous threads who offered it was drug related, please do not continue to offend the family and friends and embarass yourself. If anything, you need to apologize to the family and friends of Tyrone.
Friends who live near the campus said the talk had been for the past several weeks that it was drugs, though Tyrone had never had any habit or propensity toward drugs of any kind at any time.
Our heart goes out to the family as does our prayers. Tyrone’s father is a very good man. God bless the entire Duplessis family and LA Tech.
Lord be with the family and friends. Such a young man and sounds like raised Christian. He is in a better place now.
Mrslay1: Amen.
My atheism is only reconfirmed by reading this story. He died of a tragic heart attack. If god does exist and permitted this tragedy, I would never worship something that brutally murders my child.
@iplay dont bring that aithesim stuff into this the lord works in mysterious ways and everything happens for a reason he was put on this earth and takin away for a reason Gods purpose and prayers go his family in this tradgic time
That’s a real shAme, god bless the family.
Religion has nothing to do with this. Stop trolling for a platform. It’s a tragedy in veery sense of the word. RIP
@ningenito78: you’re right — religion is irrelevant, except for the deluded people who talk about how god works mysteriously or who believe in an extraterrestrial place where souls go after death.
Let me get this straight… a young man had his life taken away before he had a chance to finish college, get married, and enjoy the things that the world has to offer; but, I’m the bad person for pointing out that we shouldn’t be praising zeus for causing his death? Eff that.
You can deceive yourselves all you want. Either god doesn’t exist and he died of natural causes; or, your all-knowing, all-powerful god killed Tyrone Duplessis. Either way, it doesn’t bode well for the god argument.
The other writers are probably correct in that this tragedy — which it is by any standards — is not the best place to discuss the validity of religious faith, especially given the solace Duplessis’ family clearly derives from their beliefs. But, damn, I’m glad to see that someone has the courage to point out these contradictions. You did not inject religion into this discussion; you simply responded to an unrelenting chain of comments based on a system of myths that is grossly outmoded and which interferes with our human capacity to feel compassion, and restricts our ability to see such issues as poverty, environmental collapse and racism as human constructs that require human, not supernatural, intervention.
@iplaybad
Your a straight up D1(k. D0n’t know if I belieive either, but I don’t go around attacking the beliefs of other people. You must be one of those liberal loons shuffling around in makeshift tents throughout the major cities of the US.
“(God) loaned him to me for 21 years,” said Duplessis’ father. “You can’t question the Lord.”
–George Duplessis, Jr., Tyrone’s father
It was Tyrone’s father quoted in the story written by Ben Kercheval written above which brought “religion” into the matter. As George is quoted in other media, his son was a gift from God to he and his wife, and both saw that affirmed in the life of Tyrone for his 21 years.
You who advocate atheism has disgraced the life and philosophy of Tyrone and his family who are now grieving his loss. Congratulations to you! If you are the best your religion of atheism offers, no wonder so few adhere to it.
My prayers and those of my family continue to go forth for Tyrone’s family and friends who continue to mourn his untimely loss. Sadly, this reminds me of a player out here who died some years ago from a heart condition at a similar age.
Depending on which statistics you read, there are between 850 million and 1.1 billion atheist/agnostic/nontheist people in the world. That’s more than a few, bro. Do some research before you post. Otherwise, you’ll eventually tire of being exposed as a loudmouthed idiot.
Are all of us disgracing this guy and his family because we choose not to believe in the sky fairy? Should we all send condolence cards and offer apologies for not worshiping the sky fairy’s zombie son? Must we beg for clemency because we do not blindly follow the words of the opportunistic charlatans who run the churches?
I’ve got a better idea: Christians should apologize to the non-believers for making their world so hostile and for constantly exposing them to the dangers that their antiquated belief system creates. Oh, and they should admit that what they call praying is the same thing as a schizophrenic quietly mumbling to no one in particular. Religiousness is a mental illness.
My prayers and condolences has been with this family from day one..I have read the comments..the Lord has lead me to leave this… The book of Psalms saids and saids it more than once…the fool has said in its heart that their is no God..Well I stand boldy today and say that their is a God…one would say how would I know…well its not because of a religion or church or anything man has told me himself…The Lord revealed himself to me PERSONAL….so if u don’t believe there is a God…may God have mercy on your soul…many are in hell right now…they once believed the way u do…but now its to late…Please accept the Lord as your Lord and Saviour before its to late…My prayers is continually with this family..and may God continue to bless u all…
Louisiana Tech University held a public memorial service Friday evening (Feb. 10, 2012) to celebrate the life and honor the memory of recently deceased running back Tyrone Duplessis.
Duplessis, 21, was in his third year at Louisiana Tech. He passed away last Thursday, Feb. 2. Approximately 1,000 members of the Louisiana Tech and Ruston community attended the service, including fellow students, student-athletes, fans and alumni. Those paying respect came from throughout the state of Louisiana and some from Arkansas.
Speakers at the memorial service included defensive end Kendrick James, running backs coach Pierre Ingram, head coach Sonny Dykes and Louisiana Tech President Dr. Dan Reneau. Greater Realness Church pastor Don Banks (father of Tech receiver D.J. Banks) spoke near the end. Pastor Banks offered the Word of God in words of comfort to the gathering. All friends and players spoke of Tyrone’s kindness and teamwork as well as his strong Christian witness and winning smile.
Louisiana Tech University has established a Tyrone Duplessis Memorial Fund. The University and Athletics Department, along with the family, asks that in lieu of flowers, gifts in memory of Tyrone may be made to the Tyrone Duplessis Memorial Fund at the Louisiana Tech University Foundation, Inc. This is a tax deductible gift and can be made payable to the Louisiana Tech University Foundation, Inc. (memo: the Tyrone Duplessis Memorial Fund) and mailed to P.O. Box 1190, Ruston, LA 71273-1190.
Gifts to the fund may also be made online at http://www.latechalumni.org. For more information or questions, or to make a gift by phone, please call Jennifer Riley at (318)255-7950 or email jennifer@latechalumni.org.
Addendum:
The funeral was held Saturday, Feb. 11 at L.B. Landry High School Auditorium in New Orleans with the visitation beginning at 9 a.m. and service at 11 a.m. Much was said concerning Tyrone’s Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and His words.
A native of New Orleans, Duplessis ran the ball seven times this season with a long rush of seven yards as he sought to come back from a knee injury that sidelined him during the 2010 season. Six of those carries came in the regular season finale against New Mexico State as Louisiana Tech clinched a WAC title with a 44-0 win.
He played in nine games during his freshman season (2009), running the ball 70 times for 277 yards and returning four kickoffs a total of 88 yards. He ran for a career-high 75 yards on 14 carries in a nationally-televised game against Hawaii while running the ball 17 times for 65 yards on Nov. 14 at No. 7 LSU, helping Louisiana Tech hold a 13-10 lead at halftime.
He is survived by his parents, George and Mary, and two siblings, George III and Levoneshia Dixon. The family requests your prayers during this time of their loss.
[Information provided by Louisiana Tech Athletics, news sources, family, family friends, and eyewitnesses]