On the morning of Wednesday, Feb. 11, Southeast Missouri faculty and students learned of the passing of sophomore football player Danny Duray. The news of his passing was confirmed by his teammates on Instagram. Duray died on campus at the age of 20.
Duray, a kicker on the team, was from Arlington Heights, Ill., and attended Hersey High School, where he was a dual-sport athlete in football and soccer.
After high school, Duray joined the SEMO football program and redshirted. Determined to prove himself as a kicker, he later transferred to the College of DuPage.
Duray became an NJCAA All-American, making 32 of 33 extra-point attempts, including a perfect 7-for-7 performance against Detroit’s Community Christian College.
He also converted 10 of 13 field-goal attempts, including a 52-yard field goal against Iowa Central. For his efforts, Duray was named NJCAA Special Teams Player of the Week twice.
After an award-winning season, Duray transferred back to SEMO to continue his studies as an accounting major and compete for the Redhawks.
A devoted Chicago Bears fan who loved fishing, Duray is survived by his mother, Sally Duray, and his father, Sam Duray.
The loss of Duray weighs heavily on his family, friends and teammates. Senior wide receiver Anthony Westervelt spoke glowingly of his teammate and friend in a text message.
“Danny was just so full of life and was always the funniest guy in the room. Whenever he was around there was never a dull moment,” Westervelt stated. “I'll always remember him as the life of the party. He always made sure to be there for people and encourage others. He was loved by so many people, and we all are going to miss him very much.”
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The Southeast Arrow, a student-run publication at Southeast Missouri State University, originally published this story.