An Illinois college football player is being mourned after he lost his battle with brain cancer.
Western Illinois announced that defensive lineman Hunter Mason passed away at his home in Missouri on Wednesday. He was 22.
Western Illinois Athletics mourns the loss of Hunter Mason. There will be a vigil tonight at 8 p.m. at the main entrance of Hanson Field.
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— WIU Football (@WIUfootball) June 1, 2022
"The loss of Hunter is tragic and heartbreaking," said WIU Football Strength and Conditioning Coach, Jon Minnis in a news release. "For those who were fortunate enough to know Hunter, he was an incredible young man with an infectiously positive personality. We are extremely proud of Hunter and devastated by his passing."
The school said Mason was receiving treatment for his battle against glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer.
Mason played three seasons for the team, appearing in 29 games since 2018. He had 15 starts for the Leatherbacks, including 11 last season.
During his career, Mason had nine sacks, 56 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
He graduated from the university in three years with an undergraduate degree in recreation, park and tourism administration.
