Former Westchester Football Star Killed In Arizona

PHOENIX, AZ — Lance McDowdell, once a star on Mount Vernon NY High School's football team, and a key player for the Arizona Rattlers indoor football team, was found Friday with a fatal gunshot wound in the driveway of a Phoenix apartment building, according to news reports.

Police found him at 1:41 p.m. He was taken to a local hospital where he died, the Arizona Republic reported.

Read the entire article on azcentral.com.

Team officials issued a statement:

The Arizona Rattlers have learned of the passing of Lance McDowdell. Lance represented the Rattlers organization with pride and dedication and we send our condolences to his family during this time. Due to this being an ongoing criminal investigation, the Rattlers will respect the investigation and will not have any further comments until the investigation is completed.

McDowdell, 25, was named to the second-team All-IFL in 2019.

According to the team, "the Mount Vernon, New York native played collegiately first at Nassau Community College, registering 30 tackles, four sacks, and 11.5 tackles for loss. McDowdell then went on to play at the University of Central Florida, where he had 36 tackles and four tackles for loss in 12 games during his senior year.

McDowdell played high school football at Mount Vernon High School, where he earned first team All-Section honors from 2010-12. He was also named two-time league MVP in basketball and was all-state."

Dr. Kenneth R. Hamilton, superintendent of the Mount Vernon City School District, also issued a statement:

On behalf of the Mount Vernon Board of Trustees and the entire Mount Vernon City School District, I would like to express our sincere condolences to the family of Lance McDowdell. We are shocked by this tragedy and saddened by his loss.

Lance had played defensive tackle for Mount Vernon High School and later Nassau Community College and the University of Central Florida. His intent was to make his mark on the football field for Mount Vernon so others will follow and he certainly accomplished his mission.

The rise of violence amongst young people is becoming pervasive across the nation. It is imperative that we recognize our social responsibility to teach our children how to peacefully resolve their conflicts and for communities to come together regardless of their differences.