The Apalachee High School football player who died unexpectedly Monday had a brain tumor, the Gwinnett County Medical Examiner’s Office said Tuesday.
Jordan Bracken-Howley, 17, died Monday at his father’s Lawrenceville home. He would have been a senior at the Barrow County school, where he played as an offensive and defensive lineman, coach Shane Davis told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Jordan complained of a headache on Sunday,” Davis said Monday night, after visiting Jordan’s family. “He just wasn’t feeling good.”
When Jordan’s father attempted to wake him early Monday, the teen was unresponsive and could not be revived, Davis said. The teen was transported from his father’s Gwinnett County home to the hospital, according to police.
Davis said he learned of Jordan’s death after his team’s morning practice. He last saw Jordan at Friday’s practice, and the two talked about the teen’s upcoming vacation plans, Davis said.
“He showed no signs then of any ill effects,” Davis said.
An autopsy determined that Jordan had a pituitary tumor at the base of his brain, Ted Bailey, chief forensic investigator with the Gwinnett ME’s office, said Tuesday afternoon. The findings are consistent with Jordan’s symptoms, which included nausea, the ME’s office said.
Davis said Jordan wasn’t a starter for his football team, but that didn’t deter the teen from working hard.
“We can all learn so much from him because of his attitude and work ethic,” Davis said. “He wanted to be a part of what we were doing, and he was a part of it.”
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.
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