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Former Western all-league football player Ramzi Al-Shurman died in a reported small plane crash in Kern County on May 7, his father Ali Al-Shurman confirmed Wednesday.
Al-Shurman, 28, was reportedly one of two people who died in the crash, which caused a brush fire.
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated Wednesday that it is investigating the crash of a Cessna 182 on May 7 in Ridgecrest, an area surrounded by four mountain ranges in Kern County.
Al-Shurman resided in Anaheim and was married with three children, his father said.
A GoFundMe has been established to help the family.
At Western, Al-Shurman played wide receiver and defensive back. As a senior in 2015, he earned first-team All-Empire League honors and was nominated to play in the Orange County all-star football game.
Al-Shurman played football at Golden West College in 2018 before transferring to NAIA Doane University in Nebraska.
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“Ramzi was an outstanding player and leader not only on the field but off the field,” said Western football coach Dan Davidson, who coached Al-Shurman as a junior and senior. “However, my greatest memory of Ramzi is the amazing husband, father and his walk of faith.”
“The way he pursued his dreams of wanting to be a pilot is the way he attacked life,” the coach added. “Always all in and not allowing anything to interfere.”
Al-Shurman and his wife Nadeen were high school sweethearts at Western, Ali Al-Shurman said.
The father added that Al-Shurman’s sister Amira graduated from Western and his brother Waseem attends the school.
“He loved football,” Ali Al-Shurman said of Ramzi. “He loved playing football. He loved watching football.”
A preliminary report from the NTSB is expected within 30 days of crash. A final report is expected in one or two years and would include the probable cause of the crash along with contributing factors.
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