'Gentle Giant' Montco Teen Dies Suddenly After Football Practice

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, PA — A Montgomery County teenager died suddenly after football practice last week, officials at his high school confirmed. Loved ones and school personnel remembered the towering student-athlete as fitting "the gentle giant paradigm so perfectly."

Isaiah Turner, 17, a senior at La Salle College High School in Wyndmoor, passed away last Friday following what was described as a "sudden, catastrophic medical event."

"He had a warm inviting smile and was easy to be around," James Butler, president of La Salle College, wrote in a letter to school parents and families. "Whether he was gathered with a hundred football players, a dozen basketball teammates, or a select handful of Chinese IV students, Isaiah fit in easily, was loved, and will be deeply missed."

Teammates, coaches, teachers, friends, and parents gathered in Lourdes Grotto at La Salle College to remember Isaiah over the weekend.

Well wishes and memories flooded in from those who knew Isaiah or who had competed against him. La Salle College's rivals, St. Joseph's Prep, issued a statement responding to the loss.

"Our hearts are broken over the tragic loss of Isaiah Turner," they shared. "Isaiah's family, friends, and teammates will be in our thoughts and prayers during this painful time. As competitors on the field, we appreciated Isaiah's talent and passion for the game."

Acknowledgements were shared online from numerous other local schools, including Gwynedd Mercy, Lansdale Catholic, Archbishop Carroll, and Bishop McDevitt.

La Salle also said they were making guidance counselors available to students to help cope with the loss.

Services for Isaiah have not yet been announced.