Ja'Whaun Bentley. (Scott Halleran/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ-AM) -- Injured Patriots linebacker Ja'Whaun Bentley played college football at Purdue, and classmate Tyler Trent was as enthusiastic a fan as you'd find. He dreamed of being a sportswriter. But, sadly, on Tuesday, Tyler lost his third bout with a rare bone cancer. He was just 20.
Tyler became a social media star with his positive attitude and determination to live every day to the fullest in spite of his illness, and Bentley told ESPN he noticed.
"He was a hero to us all, a captain in many ways, how he lived," Bentley said. "He did more in his time here than many of us will do in our whole lives. He made an impact on so many people's lives, and became worldwide. Being able to get on the national stage and being able to share his story, not just for the glitz and glam but just to get a motivation out to other people who may be struggling ... during his toughest times, he was finding a way to make other people better rather than complaining about what he may have been going through, which was the worst time of his life."
Last year, Purdue created a scholarship--the Tyler Trent Courage and Resilience Award--for an undergraduate who has encountered adversity while pursuing a college degree.
WBZ NewsRadio's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports