OTTAWA, Ontario — The University of Ottawa Gee-Gees announced on Sunday that Gee-Gees defensive lineman and mechanical engineering student Francis Perron died following their game against the University of Toronto Blues. He was 25 years old. The news was broken by the University of Ottawa Gee-Gees football Twitter account.

It is with extremely heavy hearts that we share the news that we have lost one of our own. Fifth-year defensive lineman Francis Perron passed away yesterday in Toronto.

We are heartbroken and pulling together as a family. This will not be easy, but we will do it together. pic.twitter.com/827zHXyMY9

— Gee-Gees Football (@GeeGeesFootball) September 19, 2021

No cause of death has been made public at this time. University of Ottawa President and Vice-Chancellor Jacques Fremont issued a statement on behalf of the university. In the statement, Fremont spoke of Perron’s impact as an athlete and a student.

“A bright, passionate, and caring person, Francis poured himself into his craft as a player and his academic pursuit of becoming an engineer,” the statement read. “In the classroom, he was as big of a star as on the field, becoming a multiple-time U SPORTS Academic All-Canadian while studying Mechanical Engineering.”

A memorial service will be held for Perron, but no details are available at this time. Perron was a fifth-year student at the University of Ottawa and was originally from Sherbrooke, Quebec. He played for the Gee-Gees since 2017 and played in their game on Saturday against the Blues. Perron was also an Academic All-Canadian in both 2018 and 2019. Prior to joining the Gee-Gees, Perron spent three years at Cégep de Sherbrooke and was RSEQ Division 2 Defensive Player of the Year in 2016.

Tributes to Perron have poured in from teammates, coaches, and the community. Head Coach Marcel Bellefeuille wrote in a tweet: “Our hearts are broken, losing Francis, we’ve lost an outstanding person, teammate, player and veteran leader that made us better in every way possible. He was someone that loved and was loved, by everyone that is a part of our program. He will be missed!”

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