By Moses Leos III

If there was one thing former Hays Rebel head football coach Blake Feldt remembered about Will Trevillion, it was that he was always happy.

Feldt, who now coaches at Odessa Permian High School and spoke via phone Monday, recalled a young man who, he said, “always had a smile on his face.”

“He was always laughing and he was a fun young man to be around,” Feldt said. “Because of the happiness that just came out of his whole being.”

For Feldt and many others who knew Trevillion, the news of his death on Jan. 6 was something that shook them to their core. 

“When I heard the news last week, I was heartbroken,” Feldt said. “He had so much to offer to the world at large.”

Many of the details surrounding Trevillion’s death remain a mystery. According to reports, Trevillion, 20, collapsed in his home in Buda.

Hays County Justice of the Peace No. 2 Judge Beth Smith said Trevillion was pronounced dead at 1:43 p.m. on Jan. 6. Smith said the cause of death was unknown and an autopsy was ordered.

According to Smith, the autopsy is pending toxicology and microscopic examination. Smith said autopsy results would take “a few weeks.”

Trevillion, who graduated from Hays High in 2013, played at Texas State University as a defensive lineman under former head coach Dennis Franchione, who recently retired.

While at Hays, Trevillion attained numerous honors, including selection as an All State defensive lineman in 2012.

Trevillion, who continued his career at Texas State, played in 11 games between 2013 and 2014. He recorded a career high nine tackles with three solo stops during the 2014 season.

Prior to the 2015 campaign, Trevillion opted to switch positions from defensive tackle to center.

“He was a great young man. Good student and a great Bobcat,” said former Texas State head coach Dennis Franchione in a statement on the Texas State football webpage. “His teammates loved him and he was talented enough he could play offensive or defensive line. He was always willing to do whatever it took to help the team.”

Feldt, who first met Trevillion in the summer when he moved to Hays, recalled a very special player. That image was bolstered by his father, who made sure Trevillion “was doing the right things in school as well as on the football team.”

“Being a coach, the first thing I saw was that he was a good looking kid, a good looking football player,” Feldt said.

But for Feldt, there wasn’t just one moment that he remembered of his former player. Trevillion’s presence on the field and his happy and humble demeanor were always present.

“He was so friendly and always had a warm smile on his face,” Feldt said. “He was like that all the time, whether at school or in the field house.”