Georgia Player and Staff Member Killed in Crash After Celebratory Parade

Devin Willock, a redshirt sophomore on the University of Georgia football team, and Chandler LeCroy, a football recruiting analyst, died in a car crash early Sunday, several hours after the team was feted in Athens, Ga., with a parade for winning a national championship.

“The entire Georgia family is devastated by the tragic loss of football student-athlete Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy,” the university’s athletic association said in a statement, adding: “Devin and Chandler were two special people who meant so much to the University of Georgia, our football program and our athletic department. We ask that everyone keep their families in your prayers during this very difficult time.”

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department said in a statement that it responded to a single-vehicle crash at 2:45 a.m. Sunday in which a 2021 Ford Expedition struck two power poles and several trees. According to the police, LeCroy, 24, was the driver and was transported to a hospital, where she died from her injuries; Willock, 20, died at the scene.

Two other passengers, a 21-year-old man and a 26-year-old woman, were hurt in the crash and in stable condition, the police and the athletic association said.

The crash came hours after the University of Georgia’s national championship parade on Saturday. The team was celebrating its rout last Monday night of Texas Christian University, which gave the program its second consecutive national championship. At the parade, members of the team rode in convertibles and pickups while waving to cheering fans and signing autographs.

Willock, a 6-foot-7, 335-pound offensive lineman from New Milford, N.J., had emerged as a significant contributor for the Bulldogs in the 2022 season, starting two games at right guard and playing in all 15 contests.

LeCroy had worked in various roles in Georgia’s athletic department since 2019, beginning as the team’s part-time recruiting analyst in May 2021, according to her LinkedIn profile.

“Devin was an outstanding young man in every way and was always smiling,” Georgia Coach Kirby Smart said in a statement. “He was a great teammate and a joy to coach. Chandler was a valuable member of our football staff and brought an incredible attitude every single day.”