College athlete dies after long battle with COVID in Arkansas. ‘Special beyond measure’

A 20-year-old college athlete who was admitted to the hospital before his 2021 football season has died after an eight-month battle with COVID-19.

Jesse Boshears, who died March 3, attended Arkansas Tech University, where he was an offensive lineman for its football team.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of Jesse’s passing,” Dr. Robin E. Bowen, ATU president, said in a statement. “The manner in which his teammates and his hometown rallied around him in recent months was evidence of how much he was loved. I express my condolences to Jesse’s family and many friends.”

Boshears entered the hospital on June 29 and had been on ventilators and ECMO machines, according to an obituary and media reports.

It’s unclear if Boshears had received a COVID-19 vaccine. His family told THV11 in February they had recently gotten vaccinated. Nathan Brown, the head coach of Central Arkansas where Boshears previously attended, said the team “learned a valuable lesson about getting vaccinated” and all of its scholarship players and coaches had become fully vaccinated by August, KATV reported.

Boshears is among more than 965,000 Americans who have died from the coronavirus since the pandemic began in early 2020, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

“If you knew Jesse, then you knew he would take the shirt off his back to give it to you,” Arkansas Tech head football coach Kyle Shipp told KLRT. Shipp told the station he and Boshears talked on the phone every day until the 20-year-old was no longer able.

Months before his diagnosis, Boshears got engaged to his middle school sweetheart, Maggie Skinner, KATV reported. They had planned to be married this April.

“Jesse was so many things: A son, fiancé, grandson, brother, nephew, cousin, friend, athlete, musician, hunter, fisherman, a mentor to children, and above all a Christian,” his obituary states. “And let’s not forget he was a food connoisseur. He enjoyed a good meal and the fellowship that came with it. He was a warm, loving, gentle giant.”

His funeral was was held on Thursday, March 10 — a day before he would have turned 21.

Friends and family mourned his death on Facebook, many commenting on his adoring personality.

“Jesse Shane Boshears was special beyond measure. He was one of the most pure, kind humans I’ve ever had the pleasure of getting to call a friend,” Corey West said. “You will forever be missed, buddy.”

“You couldn’t help but like him. You couldn’t help but admire his character, strong faith, and gentle spirit,” Felisha Sutton Weaver said. “At an age when many are selfish, prideful, and fake, Jesse had a servant’s heart, walked in humility, and was authentic everywhere he went.”

This story was originally published March 11, 2022 at 9:44 AM with the headline "College athlete dies after long battle with COVID in Arkansas. ‘Special beyond measure’."