Video: Family Members Remember 18 Year Old ‘Gentle Giant’ Who Died Suddenly After Football Practice

PONTOTOC CO., MISS (WCBI) – North Pontotoc High School students and staffers are mourning the sudden loss of one of its members.

Eighteen year old Tylan Rayford, who was known as “Ty” , died suddenly Monday evening, hours after the first football practice of the pre season.

Now, family members and friends of the senior lineman and tells us how they’re remembering the good times with the teenager known as a “Gentle Giant.”

Ty Rayford comes from a large family, many of his cousins live in houses up and down a well known Pontotoc County road.

“Both sides left and right, on the other road, we call it Chesterville Road one and two, it’s a lot of family members,” said Ty’s cousin, Corey Hodges.

Most of those family members were at the hospital Monday night, after they got word Ty had collapsed at his home, after the first football practice of the preseason for the N Pontotoc Vikings. Doctors were not able to revive the 6 foot six, 360 pound lineman, who was looking forward to starting his senior year on Wednesday.

Ty lived across the street from Hodges, who used to coach his cousin in park and rec football. He says Ty was working hard through the summer for the Vikings.

“I kept tires, bags, pulleys, everyday, weekends, I would see him out there, sometimes even at night, working, pulling tires, putting in work,” Hodges said.

In fact, several weeks ago, Hodges accompanied Ty and some friends to Atlanta for an end of summer trip.

Another cousin, Ashley Gambrel, recalls an inside joke she shared with Ty.

“I would always call him my little cousin, he was about two feet taller and 150 pounds bigger than me, everytime I saw him he would tease me, like hey little cousin and he was like, ‘you’re the little one,” I’m way bigger than you,” Gambrel said.

Ty’s sister Taylor says her big brother taught her a lot.

“He meant the world to me, he used to help me with my homework, played softball, football, jumped on trampolines together, we used to riding in the car, talk about jokes and stuff,” Taylor said.

The close knit family says they are leaning on their faith in this tragedy.

“Tylan definitely meant a lot to our family , and it’s going to be a big difference without him here, but we know where he is, and we know he’s ok and he’s not suffering and we know we will see him again,” Gambrel said.

Funeral arrangements are incomplete at this time. Ty’s body has been sent to University Medical Center in Jackson for an autopsy.