Sudden death of popular athlete stuns Pearland school

Falobi Akanbi, a 17-year-old senior and honor student at Pearland's Dawson High, had recently signed a letter of intent to play football at Montana State. Falobi Akanbi, a 17-year-old senior and honor student at Pearland's Dawson High, had recently signed a letter of intent to play football at Montana State. Photo: Twitter Photo: Twitter Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Sudden death of popular athlete stuns Pearland school 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Students and staff at Pearland's Dawson High School are mourning a popular athlete who collapsed while playing basketball after school Wednesday.

Falobi Suleiman Akanbi, a 17-year-old senior, was pronounced dead at Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital. An autopsy was scheduled Thursday, said Tricia Bentley, spokeswoman for the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences.

Akanbi, an offensive tackle on the Dawson football team, got out of school early and was playing a pickup game with friends about 2:30 p.m. when he collapsed on a court at Pearland ISD's Silverlake Elementary, 2500 County Road 90, officials said. Friends tried to perform CPR until paramedics arrived.

Akanbi was an honor student and well-liked around both the campus and the community.

"It's always hard when you have a loss," Dawson head football coach Eric Wells said, "but that kid had a lot going for him with such a great family. He was part of our family, and it's tough."

Akanbi's death came three weeks after the 6-foot-5, 290-pound offensive lineman signed a letter of intent to play football at Montana State. In a statement, the university said players and staff members who met Akanbi found him gracious and intelligent.

"Our hearts go out to Folabi's family and friends, and his teammates and coaches," Montana State coach Rob Ash said in the statement. "He was a wonderful young man who captivated everyone he met, and had such an incredibly bright future."

Akanbi had started at offensive tackle for Dawson, helping the Eagles to a 12-1 record.