The Mississippi State baseball community mourns the loss of its former athlete, Ryan Duffy.
Ryan Duffy, a former Mississippi State baseball player, passed away at age 37. Duffy graduated from Barron Collier High School and received a scholarship to attend Mississippi State. The Mississippi State Baseball shared the tragic news in a post on Facebook on December 19, 2023.
What happened to Ryan Duffy?
Ryan Duffy, a 37-year-old former Mississippi Baseball player, passed away. The details of his untimely demise have not been made public. Some unconfirmed reports suggest he died in a car accident. Others claim his death is linked to his accident in 2010, which left him paralyzed from the neck down.
Ryan was enjoying his vacation at the Key West Hotel when the tragic accident happened. He jumped off a dock and into the Atlantic Ocean, but the water was shallow, resulting in a severe injury which broke his neck.
Duffy damaged six vertebrae, breaking three and fracturing three, in the accident. He was treated at the Joe DiMaggio Hospital in Miami. A year after the accident, Ryan filed a lawsuit against the general manager for not warning people about the dangerously shallow water of the hotel’s ‘dimly lit’ pier.
In 2012, Ryan attended a fundraiser organized for the search for a device that could help patients like Duffy breathe without the ventilators. The accident left Duffy strapped to a wheelchair and requiring assistance while eating.
Who was Ryan Duffy?
Ryan Duffy was a former standout player at Barron Collier High School. Duffy played as a catcher and was one of the best players during his high school days. He earned all-county and All-Southwest Florida All-Star team honors and was named MVP. He was named the Daily News’ 2005 Baseball Athlete of the Year. He received the Bright Future Scholarship and attended Mississippi State University.
At Mississippi State, Duffy redshirted his first year in 2006. In 2007, he played five games for the University and made his collegiate debut against South Carolina. In 2008, he played 42 of 56 games and hit .306 with seven home runs and 25 RBI. He became the primary catcher that year.
In his fourth year, he played in 27 games and posted a .339 batting average, a peak of his career, and set career-highs of 25 runs scored, 42 hits, ten home runs, and 33 RBI.
Ryan’s dream of becoming a professional baseball player ended with a tragic accident, which left him paralyzed. Duffy was a celebrated player, and many of his fans remember his plays to this very day.
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