The University of Wisconsin football program suffered two tragic losses in less than 24 hours during the weekend.
Current Badgers players and coaches learned Monday that Devin Chandler, a wide receiver/return specialist who played at Wisconsin in 2020 and part of 2021, was among three shooting fatalities at the University of Virginia on Sunday night.
Wisconsin officials postponed football interviews Monday after learning of Chandler’s death.
That came after the death of former Wisconsin tailback Brent Moss on Sunday. The cause of death for Moss, 50, has not been revealed.
University of Virginia Police Chief Tim Longo announced at a late-morning news conference that the suspect, former Virginia football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr., 22, was in custody. University President Jim Ryan identified the deceased as Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry, all members of the Virginia football team.
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Chandler averaged 26.0 yards on six kickoff returns, had two receptions for 28 yards and rushed one time for 18 yards in 2020.
Chandler did not see his playing time increase in 2021, however, and he entered the transfer portal in October. He finished the 2021 season with a 21.3-yard average on four kickoff returns and announced in December he planned to transfer to Virginia.
Current Wisconsin players Nick Herbig, Braelon Allen and Curt Neal and former Badgers players Kendric Pryor and Markus Allen shared their thoughts on Twitter.
Their messages, regardless of the words chosen, were the same. They were devastated.
‘I can’t breathe my boy,’ Neal, also a North Carolina native, wrote. ‘I should never have to make a RIP post about you. I’m hurt.’
Wisconsin’s interim head coach Jim Leonhard released a statement shortly after noon.
‘I was shocked and saddened to hear of Devin’s passing,’ he wrote. ‘He had a lasting impact on his teammates even after he left UW, which is a testament to the type of person he was.
‘His personality was infectious and he was a joy to be around. Our team is hurting for him and his family. I want to personally extend my condolences to his family and the Virginia football family.’
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
