Marching band community mourns loss of Iowa student who collapsed at Hawkeye game
Iowa band member dies after collapsing during Hawkeye game
Tributes are pouring in from college marching bands across the Midwest after the sudden loss of a University of Iowa marching band member who died after collapsing during the football game in Iowa City Saturday.
IOWA CITY, Iowa (FOX 9) - Tributes are pouring in from college marching bands across the Midwest after the sudden loss of a University of Iowa marching band member who died after collapsing during the football game in Iowa City Saturday.
Iowa marching band member dies after collapsing during game
What happened:
Derek Phillips collapsed at Kinnick Stadium just before the band’s halftime performance during the Sept. 5 game against Northern Illinois. Temperatures were in the mid-90s at the time.
Phillips was immediately taken to the hospital for sudden cardiac arrest.
In an Instagram post Tuesday, his family said they made the difficult decision to pull him off life support because "the damage to his brain was too severe."
The backstory:
Phillips was a fourth-year student, studying business analytics and information systems and music, according to a statement from the university. He was a member of the Hawkeye Marching Band and the mellophone section leader.
What you can do:
A GoFundMe has been created for the family of Derek Phillips. Funds will be given to his parents.
Moment of silence planned for Hawkeye vs Cyclones game
What they're saying:
The Hawkeye Marching Band released a statement, saying in part:
"Losing a HMB family member is one of the most difficult tragedies we will experience. We are grateful to his parents, Sara and Brian, for providing regular updates throughout the weekend to HMB staff and the students who love him. We will continue to walk the journey together, and we will continue to provide support and resources to our students to ensure they are getting the care they need. The Hawkeye Marching Band and the School of Music are strong and resilient because of the people within. We appreciate the thoughts and well wishes from so many members of our community."
What's next:
The university says they will honor Phillips’ memory with a moment of silence at the Hawkeye football game against the Iowa State Cyclones this Saturday.
College marching bands pay tribute to Phillips
Memorials and tributes have poured in from many in the football and marching band communities, including from fellow Big Ten universities.
Big Ten tributes:
The University of Minnesota Marching Band posted on Facebook that their hearts were with the Hawkeyes.
The University of Wisconsin Marching Band shared the following sentiment: "We may wear different colors and cheer for different teams, but moments like this remind us how deeply connected the marching band community truly is."
The University of Michigan Marching Band also extended their condolences, saying, "We have had the honor of joining the Hawkeye Marching Band on the field several times in recent years, and it has been a gift to make music together."
Rival school speaks out:
The Iowa State University Cyclone Marching Band also shared their condolences, saying this season they will "do it for Derek."
The Source: Information in this story comes from University of Iowa and Hawkeye Marching Band statements, social media posts from the Phillips family and other university marching bands.