Drake Maye recalls memories of Virginia’s Devin Chandler after tragic death

On a normal day, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is on the opposite side of the South’s Oldest Rivalry with Virginia. These aren’t normal times for Virginia, though, as the campus is still mourning the shooting that left three Cavaliers football players dead and two more injured.

One of those who died was Devin Chandler, a North Carolina native who grew up in a town not far from where Drake Maye grew up.

“I knew Devin pretty well,” Drake Maye said. “You know, go out and throw with him during throwing sessions.”

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“Being from around the same area, you know the players that go off to college. He was a great player. Played at Hough, which I went to my freshman year. So, like transferred after that, but I knew a lot of players from Hough that were best friends with him. I think Chance Carroll on our team, he played at Hough. He played with Devin. He was sick–he’s battled some stuff.”

Devin Chandler went to William Amos Hough for high school. That’s the same school that Carroll went to, where both players were in the Class of 2020. It’s about 40 minutes away from Myers Park, where Drake Maye went to school.

“So, it’s just a tragedy, you know, anytime something like that happens, and just hearing some stories of what happened, just awful news. Just praying. Thoughts and prayers out to the UVA community.”

Devin Chandler was one of three Virginia football players to die in the shooting. Lavel Davis Jr. and D’Sean Perry were also killed. Two other people were wounded, including Mike Hollis, who recently underwent successful surgery.

Virginia coach Tony Elliott’s emotional response

First-year head coach Tony Elliott never expected a tragedy like this to happen during his tenure. No coach ever does. He was emotional responding to the shooting deaths of Lavel Davis Jr., D’Sean Perry, and Devin Chandler.

“It feels like it’s a nightmare, to be honest with you. And I’m ready for somebody to pinch me and wake me up and say that this didn’t happen. It’s been a long, I don’t even know how long it’s been since it happened. The minutes can’t go by fast enough,” Tony Elliott said.

“My heart’s hurting right now for our university, our community, the team, the players, the families, the young men whose families have been impacted the most. That’s where my thoughts are at this time, trying to provide all the resources and support that I possibly can.”