A former USF football player was found dead May 26 in the Intracoastal Waterway near Lake Worth, Florida, according to a report.
USF coaches and players mourned the death of Jon Lejiste, 33, who was known for one of the most memorable defensive plays in the program’s history, The Tampa Bay Times reported. He was identified Tuesday night by the West Palm Beach Police Department and “had a small scar on his left wrist and a tattoo of the number seven on his right arm” when found, according to the outlet. (RELATED: Paul Chyrst ‘Impressed’ With Graham Mertz, Says Fall Camp Will Be’ Big For Him)
“Jon was a great young man,” Lejiste’s former coach Jim Leavitt said. “He was quiet and so courteous, was one of the great safeties I had on that team with Nate Allen. So, so talented, but what I loved about him was he was respectful and courteous.”
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of Jon Lejiste.
Lejiste was a much-loved member of our USF Football family, playing from 2009-2012 as a defensive back. pic.twitter.com/0CNpRbpJxg
— USF Football (@USFFootball) June 1, 2023
An autopsy determined nobody else was involved in Lejiste’s death, the outlet noted.
Lejiste was raised in Delray Beach and played with the Bulls for five seasons, totaling 147 tackles, five sacks and three interceptions in 30 games. Lejiste is remembered for his forceful hit on FSU tailback Tavares Pressley toward the end of the first quarter of the Bulls victorious game against the Seminoles in 2009, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
“He was a hell of a football player and a hard hitter, and one of the nicest people I ever got a chance to meet,” former teammate Matt Grothe recalled. “He was just always in a good mood and would do anything for anybody.”