Austin Box, a standout Enid High School athlete and University of Oklahoma linebacker, was found unresponsive Thursday morning in a house in El Reno and later was pronounced dead at Mercy Medical Center in Oklahoma City.
Box, 22, was found at a home rented by J.T. Cobble, El Reno Police Chief Ken Brown said. Cobble was an assistant football coach at Enid High School, where Box met him. He was a lay coach, or consultant coach, when his father, Tom, was head football coach at Enid High.
Police in El Reno are investigating whether drugs played a role in Box’s death.
According to a police report by Todd Ward, who responded to a 911 call at 9:22 a.m. Thursday, “Cobble told me when I entered the room Box was in he believed (Box) had overdosed.”
On the police report, Ward checked a box marked “drugs” under a category listing possible/probable motivation. Under the offense category, Ward listed “controlled dangerous substance.”
No cause of death has been determined. Box’s body was taken to the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office.
Cherokee Ballard, spokeswoman for the medical examiner’s office, said she didn’t know when the cause of Box’s death would be determined.
“It may be two weeks, it may be tomorrow, it may be in a month. I don’t know, it depends on what they’re looking for,” she said.
According to the police report, El Reno police received a call at 9:22 a.m. Thursday from Cobble, who said he needed an ambulance.
“There’s a guy, uh, who stayed with me last night, and uh, he’s not responding to me,” Cobble said to the 911 dispatcher. “He takes pain pills and he’s not responding to me.”
The dispatcher asked Cobble during the call if he could feel Box breathing. He told her he could not hear him breathing.
The dispatcher then asked Cobble if he wanted to start CPR, and Cobble said he didn’t know how. Cobble was then heard on the call yelling “Box! Austin!” but there was no response.
The dispatcher continued by telling Cobble how to perform CPR, and Cobble pressed down on Box’s chest 30 times, and as Cobble finished, police and medics arrived on scene.
Ward, who arrived at 9:25 a.m., said in his report when he arrived Cobble was performing CPR. Ward said he used an AED, or automated external defibrillator, as medics from Mercy Hospital in El Reno arrived.
Box was taken to the El Reno hospital by ambulance and later Mediflighted to Mercy in Oklahoma City.
Box’s family issued a statement through Mercy Thursday afternoon.
“The Box family wishes to express their appreciation for the outpouring of sympathy from across the state,” the family said. “We particularly want to thank the University of Oklahoma, the coaching staff and players for their kindness and support.
“Austin loved everything about Oklahoma — the people, his hometown of Enid and his many close friends. Most of all, Austin loved his family and we loved him.
“We invite you to join us in celebrating his life.”
Box had graduated from OU earlier this month but had one more year of eligibility on the football team.
Remembering Austin
Bill Mayberry and former teammates of Box found themselves gathering in left field at David Allen Memorial Ballpark Thursday afternoon after they heard the news he had died.
Nobody had planned on meeting there, Mayberry said. It just happened.
“As a coach, I said this about Austin when he played, after he played and I will say it again: He did everything I asked, every time I asked it,” Mayberry said. “That was how dedicated an athlete he was.”
Mayberry said he first got to know Box when he was 13 or 14 years old and started out with the American Legion baseball team. Mayberry also was athletic director of Enid High School during the time Box played on the football team.
“You just can’t be as good an athlete as he was without a good work ethic,” he said.
Mayberry said he was going to concentrate on all the fond memories he had of Box while he was in Enid. Box was a key member of the Enid American Legion baseball team that won the national American Legion World Series in 2005.
Enid football coach Tommy Parker called Box “hands down the best athlete (he) had ever coached.”
“He was a hard worker,” Parker said. “He was very coachable. He had a great spirit.
“He will truly be missed and this heart goes out to his family.”
Box was quarterback and defensive back for the Plainsmen and led them to the state championship game his senior season in 2006.
Parker said he was planning to address the football program at the high school.
Mark Rountree, former sports editor at the Enid News & Eagle, said he found out about Box’s death when his son, Nick, called him.
“I can’t believe it,” Rountree said.
Rountree said he had known Box for a long time, ever since he was a kid.
“Everybody’s always known him,” Rountree said. “He’d been a star athlete in Enid since he was a young kid.”
Rountree said he doesn’t believe there was anyone he spent more time interviewing than Box.
“I don’t know how to react,” Rountree said. “I’m just stunned, shocked. I don’t know — (Box) has been Enid’s son. He was kind of the sports icon in Enid for a long time.”
Rountree said Box always was polite and respectful in interviews, and would let the media take as long as they wanted.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to Gail and Craig, because I can’t imagine what they’re going through right now,” Rountree said. “I know our hearts are going out to them and we’re crushed.”
OU officials also reacted to Box’s death Thursday.
“The university family is deeply saddened by the tragic death of student-athlete Austin Box,” said OU President David L. Boren. “Our hearts go out to his family and friends.”
“This is a devastating day for the OU family,” said OU Athletics Director Joe Castiglione. “Austin was incredibly well liked by his teammates, coaches and fellow students, and will be greatly missed by all of us. We’re providing all the appropriate resources necessary to help everyone in his family, and ours, cope during this extremely difficult time.”
“We’re all shocked and heartbroken,” said OU football coach Bob Stoops. “Austin was a great young man, a great young man to coach and a great teammate. He played an integral part in our success the last three years and was looking forward to a big senior year. As heart-wrenching as this is for us, we know it’s even more difficult for his family. More than anything, our thoughts and prayers are with them.”
A Facebook page has been set up for Austin called RIP Austin Box.
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