LYNCHBURG, Va. — Liberty University Football Head Coach Jamey Chadwell held a press conference on Friday morning discussing the impact of Tajh Boyd's death on him and his team.
Boyd, who was 19 years old, joined the team at Liberty in January. The former offensive lineman at Chesapeake's Oscar F. Smith High School was a part of the '23 recruiting class and chose Liberty among 10 Division 1 offers.
Chadwell opened up the presser by explaining that such circumstances are uncharted territory for him.
"There's no playbook, no map, to figure out how to deal with circumstances like this... you don't have a lot of time to grieve," he said.
But he said he and the administration are doing their best to support Liberty's student-athletes and make sure they know about the resources available.
"I'm proud of our team. They come out every day and stick together."
Chadwell also spoke about Tajh and his family, confirming that his death was not football related.
"I spoke to his mom and dad a couple of times to offer support. They know he was loved here... He loved fashion and clothes. He was quiet in the halls, but when he was with his team, he lit up the room. He was always there for others."
He talked about how he was dealing with his own grief with the team.
"I've tried not to mask what I'm feeling. If there are days I'm not doing well, I let 'em know. Hopefully, they can see it's alright to let me know if they're feeling the same way," he explained.
Coach Chadwell asked that everyone "continue praying for the community, the team, and the family."
A spokesperson for the Lynchburg police said this week that police had looked into the death and determined a criminal investigation was not necessary, the Associated Press reported.