Football player, 17, found dead hours before playing championship game at NFL stadium
Brandon Smith was set to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday in a state championship game before he was found dead just hours before kickoff.
Brandon Smith, a 17-year-old high school football player for Manchester High School, was found dead just hours before his school was set to play Bowdon High in Manchester's first state championship game since 1997. The sophomore was reported to be missing Saturday by his coach.
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"We are heartbroken to hear the news of the tragic and untimely death of one of our student-athletes, Brandon Smith," the school district said in a statement. "Manchester High School's celebration of playing for the Georgia 1-A State Football Championship has unfortunately turned into something none of us could have fathomed."
On Sunday, Smith's body was found behind a home in Manchester in a thick, wooded area, Manchester Police Chief Gray Couch told USA Today Sports. Police have stated that foul play is "suspected" and therefore, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation was called in to support the efforts to find the cause of death.
"The circumstances behind this tragedy are still being investigated and will be shared publicly by local authorities," the Meriwether County School System said.
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"We continue to pray for Brandon's family, friends, teammates, and classmates," the district said. "Brandon was a loyal teammate and friend who excelled on and off the field. He will be deeply missed."
Smith was an offensive and defensive lineman for Manchester and the team was set to travel to Atlanta to play at Mercedes-Benz Stadium for the state championship game. The stadium currently is home to the Atlanta Falcons.
Despite Smith's untimely death, Manchester and Bowdon still played the game Monday night. Hours before the game, Manchester High Football's X (formerly Twitter) account posted a tribute to their fallen player.
"ITS GAME DAY," the post said, with pictures of Smith along with the logos of the two schools. "THIS ONE FOR YOU BSMITH ... We Love You Man."
Manchester found themselves playing from behind for large parts of the game. They went 14-0 down in the first quarter but fought back to make it 21-21 at halftime.
They ended up losing the game 28-27 in a heartbreakingly close finish after their Bowdon were successfully able to run out the clock late on.
