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HOUSTON -- Tobi Oyedeji, a power forward slated to begin his collegiate career at Texas A&M next season, died Sunday due to injuries sustained in a car accident. Oyedeji, an 18-year-old power forward out of Houston's Bellaire High School, was slated to begin summer classes in College Station later this month. Instead, the Aggie family is left to mourn his passing.
"The world has lost a great kid today," Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon said in released statement. "Tobi epitomized the term student-athlete. He was a very good student. He worked hard in the classrooms and on the basketball court and he was a terrific basketball player. This is difficult to understand and today is a very sad day. My heart aches for his mom and dad. Tobi was an only child and I would like everyone to pray for Tobi's parents."
According to a story appearing on the Houston Chronicle's website on Sunday, Oyedeji was involved in a head-on collision around 6:15 a.m. Sunday after attending his school-sponsored prom and subsequent after-prom party at Dave & Buster's. Shortly before the accident, Oyedeji texted his father to let him know he was coming back home, the Chronicle reported. "Dad, I'm on my way home," he reportedly texted at 5:53 a.m.
Early reports indicate Oyedeji likely fell asleep at the wheel, killing the driver of an oncoming Jeep at the scene.
"I don't know why this happened," his heartbroken father, Michael Oyedeji, told the Chronicle.
No drugs or alcohol are believed to have been involved in the accident.
When reached by phone Sunday evening, a woman answering the Oyedeji phone told FanHouse that the family is in mourning and did not wish to make a statement at this time.
Those who knew Oyedeji talked about how good of a kid he was and how well-grounded he was as an only child.
Share "That kid right there was better than good," said RCSSports.com founder Jim Hicks, who got to know Oyedeji and his family well over the years. "That dude was special. If you take basketball out of the equation, he was the type of young man who would be on the city council or even run for mayor."
Oyedeji's Facebook page was filled with messages of condolence. He had written on his page this month that he graduates on May 30 and had to be at A&M by May 31. Underneath that he had a passage from Psalms 23, "The Lord Is My Shepherd."
Oyedeji was one of four 2010 signees brought in by Turgeon and his staff. He had a chance to make an immediate impact with the Aggies after leading Bellaire to the Class 5A regional finals this past season.
Oyedeji had recently played in the Academic All-American Game where he was named Player of the Game for the American team. Players who participate in that game must have at least a 3.0 grade point average. Additionally, Oyedeji was named to the All-Greater Houston squad and Rivals had him ranked as the No. 18 power forward in the 2010 class.
He averaged 16 points and eight rebounds this season for Bellaire.
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