Skip to main content

Jamain Stephens, a 6'3'' defensive tackle for the California University of Pennsylvania, has died at 20 years old, the school announced Tuesday.

Stephens, who was a senior on the football team, appeared in 32 games in three prior seasons. His father, also named Jamain, was a first-round draft pick of the Steelers in 1996, and later played five seasons in the NFL.

"Jamain was such a wonderful student with a smile on his face every time you saw him," athletic director Dr. Karen Hjerpe said in a statement. "His personality was contagious and he made such a positive impact on everyone he met."

“It was universal,” Terry Totten, Stephens’s high school football coach at Central Catholic (Pa.) told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Brad Everett. “He lit up a room. Whether you were a freshman or senior in class, you knew who he was.”

 A GoFundMe has been set up to pay for Stephens's funeral. 

"He touched everyone's hearts' with something positive. We all love you Juice," the GoFundMe reads.