College football player dies after collapsing on field days before his 21st birthday, family says [Video]

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. (WPTV) – It was a night full of laughter and tears as hundreds of loved ones wore green to celebrate the life of Denali Smith.

The 20-year-old college football player died on Tuesday after collapsing during a workout.

Several in the community are left with heavy hearts since Smith’s death.

Many of them spent Thursday evening remembering him.

“He was a true leader, he had a heart of gold, and never had a bad day,” Latoya Mills, his mother, said. “He was the definition of positive.”

Mills said her son was practicing at Wellington High School’s football field when he collapsed.

After trying everything they could to save him, Smtih didn’t make it.

His cause of death has not yet been determined, according to the coroner.

Mills said her son attended Wellington High before joining the football team at Graceland University in Iowa.

According to Mills, her son’s 21st birthday would have been Thursday.

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