Former Sam Houston State football player William Davis died Saturday at the age of 22 from gunshot wounds to the chest, according to TMZ.
It’s reportedly uncertain whether his death is being viewed as a homicide, with the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Virginia telling TMZ that manner of death is still being determined.
The college originally did not disclose a cause of death when announcing Davis’s death.
“It is with heavy hearts that we mourn the loss of Will Davis. Will was a beloved member of our Bearkat football family here at Sam Houston who touched the lives of everyone he knew,” coach Phil Longo said in a statement released Sunday night. “Will was an upbeat, positive, passionate young man who will be sincerely missed. Tanya, the kids and I are praying for Will’s family during this difficult time.”
Davis, a safety from South Boston, Va., transferred to Sam Houston State ahead of the school’s spring practice after spending time with West Virginia (2025) and Division II Virginia Union (2020-24).
His West Virginia bio said he appeared in 36 career games for Virginia Union, including 20 starts, spanning his five years with the program.
Davis appeared in one game for the Mountaineers before transferring to Sam Houston State.
“Sam Houston felt like home from the moment I first set foot on campus,” Davis is quoted as saying in an Instagram post from February by NIL agency Nilson Sports. “As a Virginia kid that had played every snap of football in my life within driving distance of home, it was important to me that I’d play somewhere where I fit seamlessly into the culture if I was going to be so distant geographically.”
The program plans to honor him during the season, according to the Houston Chronicle.
“We lost a member of our Bearkat family this weekend and everyone is in pain today. My heart hurts right now for the family, friends, coaches and teammates of William Davis,” Sam Houston State athletics director Bobby Williams said in the release.
“We are never prepared when we lose someone suddenly in our lives and it’s especially tough when it is someone so young and still has a full life in front of them. I want to express my sincerest condolences to Will’s family and everyone whose lives he touched.”