Man, what a gut punch from the college sports scene today. Word’s out that Devonta Lee, the former wideout from LSU and Louisiana Tech, passed away at only 27 after battling cancer. His folks confirmed it, and you’ve got heartfelt statements from both programs, plus coverage popping up on sites like Yahoo Sports and NOLA.com. He left us on February 26, 2026, when that damn osteosarcoma roared back even after he’d kicked its ass once before. And this comes hot on the heels of another tragedy: Lincoln University track star Kevaughn Goldson getting stabbed to death just days earlier. Stuff like this really drives home how these young guys’ lives can flip in an instant.
Devonta was from Fluker, Louisiana, and he just destroyed it at Amite High before ending up at LSU in 2019. He was part of that title-winning squad, dressing for 13 games and hauling in a few catches for 27 yards. Over his three years with the Tigers, he accumulated 11 receptions for 112 yards and a score, according to ESPN. He then transferred to Louisiana Tech in 2022, but that’s when everything fell apart he began experiencing debilitating back pain in camp, and voilà, osteosarcoma is what the docs say.
A tweet from X.
If you’re not up on it, osteosarcoma’s this nasty, fast-spreading bone cancer that likes to hit the long bones in arms or legs, though it can sneak into the spine like with Devonta. It preys on teens and young adults mostly, and fighting it usually means chopping it out with surgery, blasting it with chemo, and zapping it with radiation.
The dude went through the wringer: a pair of surgeries, 10 grueling weeks of chemo, seven of radiation. By 2023, he was ringing the bell as cancer-free, and people were sharing that moment everywhere it was inspiring as hell. He even clawed his way back onto the field in 2024 for Tech, hauling in nine catches for 85 yards and a score. His mom, Lacresia Brown, chatted with TigerRag.com and a few others about how he was a total warrior, obsessed with the game, hitting weights daily, never backing down, and always the first to lend a hand.
LSU Football dropped a tribute on the 26th:
“LSU Football family mourns the loss of former Tiger, Devonta Lee.”
Louisiana Tech echoed that, saying he’d forever be a Bulldog, according to KNOE.com. There was this poignant black-and-white pic from his high school days making the rounds on social media, racking up over 12,000 likes and a flood of comments from people pouring out their hearts.
Then, barely a breath later February 24 or 25 Lincoln University in Jefferson City, Missouri, gets hit with their own horror show. Kevaughn Goldson, a 23-year-old senior sprinter from Jamaica, stabbed to death at some off-campus spot. They nabbed another senior, Denita Jackson from Guyana, and slapped her with second-degree murder charges.
Over here in the States, second-degree murder’s typically an intentional kill without the premeditation like in the heat of passion and it can mean life behind bars if it sticks.
The cops in Jefferson City made it clear, and the prosecutors chose to believe that Jackson attacked Goldson after he was caught with her roommate. The school has released a statement offering condolences to his family and the community, saying it is a “heartbreaking mess.” This is being supported by sources such as the New York Post.
Having these two hits so close together? It just spotlights the rough edges for college athletes health battles, safety pitfalls. NCAA data’s been screaming for more mental health resources post-pandemic. As tributes keep rolling in, it’s got the whole sports world pausing to reflect on pushing through the crap life throws at you.
