PC Football Player Died From Respiratory Problem Caused By Intoxication

A Presbyterian College student was found unconscious by a fellow student early Sunday morning.

Kyle Allen, 21, from St. Augustine, FL was taken to the Laurens County Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The coroner's office says Allen died of respiratory depression due to acute alcohol intoxication.

No further information was released about the death.

The State Law Enforcement Division has been notified, as is the case with any fatality on a college campus.

Allen was a member of the college football team.

School spokesman Hal Milam says Allen was found at a fraternity house. 

A member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity tells 7 On Your Side Allen was a brother of the fraternity.

The following is a statement from Bob Staton, PC chief of staff:  “Our primary concern remains with Kyle’s mother and family and we are focused on helping them through this difficult time,” Staton said. “Our next concern is for Kyle’s friends, teammates, professors, and all in our campus community who knew him.” 

According to Deputy Director Charlie Stinson of Gateway Counseling Center, alcohol-use is widespread on college campuses across the country.

Statistics find nearly 2,000 students between the ages of 18 and 24 die from alcohol-related unintentional injuries each year in the U.S.

“A lot of these students have discretionary money and their concept is when ‘I want to have fun and relax for whatever reason then alcohol is the way to do it,’" Stinson says.

Details on funeral arrangements have not yet been released, but will likely be held in Florida, according to Milam.

7 On Your Side also had the chance to speak with the Presbyterian College Athletics Director Bob Reese.

"Kyle was one of the more popular kids on the team and it hit us pretty hard," Reese said.

Reese says telling the other students about allen's death was one of the hardest things he's ever had to do.

"There is no easy way to do it. There's not athletic director class that you take to teach you this," Reese said.

Allen was a linebacker for the football team and Reese says while he wasn't the "star" athlete on the team he was by far one of the hardest workers.

"We played Cal, and we flew out to Cal and he's up against this 285 defensive end from Cal, that's probably pac 12 first team, and he held his own against him," Reese said.

And Reese says Allen wasn't just a determined athlete he was a successful student studying business. 

"He knocked it out of the park as a student," Reese said.

The coroner's office ruled Allen's death accidental and was due to alcohol intoxication.

Reese says he believes this will be a wake up call for students.

"Kyle was that important, and I think they will remember Kyle and it will effect some no question," Reese said.