Tragedy has hit the athletic ranks of Emporia State University as one of its promising football players, Brexten Green, passed away tragically. The wide receiver died on Saturday, July 9, while cliff diving into Grand Lake in Oklahoma.
The Grand River Dam Authority received an emergency call around 6:30 p.m. on Saturday about a man who jumped into Grand Lake around Dripping Springs and didn’t resurface. Delaware County emergency rescue crews found Green’s body in 31 feet of water. The 20-year-old was a redshirt freshman and multi-sport athlete out of Cashion High School in Oklahoma.
Our hearts go out to the community of Cashion and the Wildcat family. Most of all, we pray the family of Brexten Green finds comfort. It’s a life lost too soon, but one of great accomplishment and impact. pic.twitter.com/5VT6QGNUOO
— Skordle App (@Skordle) July 3, 2022
“It’s a terrible day for Emporia State football and just a devastating loss for the Green family,” Emporia State Hornets head football coach Garin Higgins said in a statement. “Brexten was a great teammate who cared so much about this football program. It showed in his competitive spirit, his work ethic and his willingness to be there for his teammates. He will always be a part of our Hornet football family.”
Green came to Emporia State from Cashion High School in Cashion, Oklahoma. He was a two-way Oklahoma high school football star leading his team to an Oklahoma Class A state championship in 2021. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound player was named an All-State wide receiver by the Oklahoma Coaches Association for the 2020 Oklahoma Class A State Champion Wildcats.
“His last day on earth was spent doing one of the many things he loved – enjoying friends,” his obituary said. He was at Grand Lake and decided to go jump off the cliffs – in true Brexten fashion, he was living to the fullest. Tragically after going under the water, he never resurfaced, and rescuers were not able to locate him despite their best efforts.”
Lifting prayers up to the Cashion community and family in the tragic loss of former Cashion #OKPreps Brexton Green in an accident this weekend. Great athlete and even greater person. pic.twitter.com/G6GGfeVpGM
— I Was At The Game (@IWasAtTheGame) July 3, 2022
The defensive back took home District A-3 player of the year honors as a senior, after gaining 1,720 receiving yards and 409 rushing yards — scoring 27 total touchdowns.
“Brexten’s personality was larger than life. He added joy, humor, and friendship to everyone he encountered, whether you knew him 5 minutes or your entire life,” his obituary said.
“The impact Brexten had in his lifetime was far reaching regardless of age. If you were younger than him, he was a role model, hero, and friend. If you were older than him, you strived to be a little more like him every day. Brexten was the upper classman that took kids home from practice, drove others to youth group that would not have been able to go, including friends in all hunting trips.”
FRIEND. CHAMPION. FOREVER@brexten_green ♥️ #10
Legends are Never Forgotten. #cashion pic.twitter.com/ra3ZBejT8X— Cashion Wildcats TV (@TvCashion) July 3, 2022
Green was going to begin his second year and was a business administration major, university president Ken Hush wrote in a campus-wide email. Additionally, Hush offered Emporia State’s counseling services to anyone who needed it during this difficult time.
“He was committed to being the best player he could be and would have developed into a great player for us because of those characteristics,” Higgins said. “He was a typical ESU player that lived the core bricks of our program and we will miss him dearly,” said Higgins. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents Brett and LaMae and the entire family.”
