Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney says their hearts are broken in the Clemson football program after learning about the sudden death of former Clemson running back Tyshon Dye, who passed away Friday afternoon from an apparent drowning near the South Carolina State line.
“All of our hearts are just broken,” Swinney said in a release. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. I can honestly say Tyshon Dye is one of the sweetest souls I’ve ever been associated with or coached. We’re just all heartbroken tonight, and we’re praying for his family and know that he’s been called home.”
Dye graduated from Clemson with a degree in parks, recreation and tourism management in May 2017. He appeared in 17 games for Clemson across the 2014-16 seasons after redshirting during the 2013 campaign. He recorded 76 career carries for 351 yards with five rushing touchdowns and two career receptions for 11 yards as a member of the Tigers.
Dye was a member of Clemson’s 2016 squad that secured the program’s second national championship. He appeared in seven games that season, recording 53 offensive snaps and accruing 109 yards on 21 carries. He scored a rushing touchdown in Clemson’s 56-10 road win against Boston College that year.
After earning his degree from Clemson, he transferred to East Carolina for his final year of eligibility. He recorded 217 rushing yards on 50 carries and six receptions for 56 yards for the Pirates in 2017.
Dye attended Elbert County (Ga.) Comprehensive High School, where he earned region offensive player of the year honors as a senior.
Elbert County (Ga.) Corner Chuck Almond told Fox Carolina News Dye passed away Friday after swimming with his two brothers at a Georgia State Park. Dye went under water after getting tired as the three men tried to swim back to land. His brothers were unable to help him. The family called 911. That happened around 4:50 p.m.
Almond ruled Dye’s death as an accidental drowning. Dye was swimming with his brothers at the Richard B Russell State Park in Elberton, Georgia.
According to Fox Carolina, Dye’s body was pulled out of the water around 6 p.m. Dye was 25 years old.
Dye is the second former Clemson running back to die in the last nine months. Former running back C.J. Fuller passed away on October 3, 2018 due to pulmonary thromboembolism and deep vein thrombosis, complications from a knee surgery he had two months before.
–Clemson Athletic Communications contributed to this story
