Notre Dame Matt James Died After Falling From Hotel Balcony

WJHG-TV, a TV station in Panama City reported that Matt James, 17, one of the nation’s most sought-after football recruits died almost instantly on Friday in a spring break accident after falling from the third-floor hotel balcony at around 6:25 p.m.

Luke Massa, St. Xavier’s senior quarterbackand a fellow Notre Dame recruit, was with James in Florida. “Luke is devastated,” Massa’s father, Gary, said late Friday. “He lost one of his best friends.” Gary Massa added of Matt James, “This kid was a great kid, I can tell you that.”

The death of Matt James spread so fast, friends and family arranged a vigil in St. Xavier High School by 10 p.m. In St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, where Matt James was a senior, the faculty and students of the school gathered at the school’s stadium to mourn the death of Matt James. Their are candles lined at the school’s entrance to the stadium. Faculty and students stood with candles in their hands. Some students at the vigil described James as a gentle giant who was down-to-earth and nice to those around him.