Cancer claims Vanderbilt tight end Turner Cockrell
James Holden Vanderbilt University tight end Turner Cockrell died Thursday after a yearlong battle with cancer, The Tennessean reported. He was 21.
Cockrell, a sophomore, was surrounded by his family when he died at his home in Acworth, Georgia, Vanderbilt spokesman Larry Leathers told the newspaper.
Cockrell was diagnosed with melanoma in his lymph nodes in November 2017, according to The Tennessean. He had surgery in December and underwent radiation treatments for 20 weeks. But in July, a body scan showed that the cancer had spread to Cockrell's lungs, the newspaper reported.
“My heart is broken for Randy (Turner's father), Noelle (Turner's mother) and the Cockrell family, for all of Turner's teammates, and for all who came in contact with Turner," Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said in a news release. "Turner had a wonderful spirit and fought an incredible fight. He was a Vanderbilt man through and through, and he will always be remembered here."
