Winona State football player dies

Winona State University officials say a football player died Monday while working out with some of his teammates at the football field.

Shawn Afryl, 22, had recently transferred to Winona State University from the University of Illinois. He joined the Winona State team this summer and enrolled as a social studies teaching major.

Winona State's head football coach, Tom Sawyer, did not immediately return calls for comment. But in a statement, he said Afryl "showed a lot of people what a great fit he was going to be not only for our football program but for our campus as well."

Afryl's mother posted a request for donations online to help cover funeral expenses. She said her son was practicing football on a scholarship he received from Winona State.

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