ATHENS, Ga. — Sadness filled Georgia and Bulldog nation Sunday as two people tied to the University of Georgia football program died in an overnight crash.
Devin Willock, a 20-year-old offensive lineman, and 24-year-old Chandler LeCroy, who served as a member of the football staff, died while traveling overnight in Athens. Another player and staff member were also hurt in the crash, but are expected to be OK.
This happened just hours after the Bulldogs celebrated their second-straight national championship with thousands of their fans.
About 24 hours later, there is an outpouring of sadness and shock. Students, fans, and the community came to Sanford Stadium Sunday and left flowers and signs at a growing memorial. A somber mood filled the campus as people mourned the loss of the two young lives.
A dark and quiet UGA campus was quite the change from Saturday's festive atmosphere for freshman Rebecca Harcourt.
“It feels very heavy. Today feels very heavy. Yesterday was very light and cheery and everyone just having the best time, and today it’s like wow, everything can change so fast. It’s just sad," Harcourt said.
Harcourt went from elation to grief.
“It’s pretty devastating, especially after the celebration and the parade yesterday. It’s sobering," Harcourt said.
Willock was also at that parade and posted a video of the celebration along the route.
“It’s shocking and a lot of disbelief. I can’t wrap my head around it," Harcourt said. "We saw them yesterday having the time of their lives, and today I can’t imagine the grief the team especially is going through right now.”
A woman is in similar shock, after hearing the crash happen outside of her home.
"I hear this bang, the power goes out, and then it comes back on. I was curious, so I got out of bed and came up here," Ceciley Pangburn said.
Pangburn heard the crash that Athens-Clarke County Police said happened around 2:45 a.m. along Barnett Schoals Road in Athens.
“I can't even tell what happened because they hit a power line, they hit a light pole, they hit a tree, and then they hit the building. Then they end up behind the car," Pangburn said.
Investigators said LeCroy drove the car at the time of the crash.
“Me and my friends are right around that age. How do you, how do you deal with losing people that are so young? I'm sure that everyone involved had a lot more to offer to the world," said Caleb Tucker, a Bulldogs fan.
Insiders at UGAsports.com report offensive lineman Warren McClendon was also in the car and has been released from the hospital. A fourth person, staff member Tori Bowles, is in the hospital recovering.