Body found near Ohio State identified as missing football player

A body found near the
campus of Ohio State University was
confirmed to be that of football player Kosta
Karageorge, police said at a press conference
Sunday.
Karageorge's body was found inside a
dumpster Sunday afternoon and he
apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot
wound, police said. A handgun was also
found, police said.
Police spokesman Sgt. Rich Weiner said police
received a call around 2:30 p.m. from
someone reporting a body found in the trash
bin. Weiner said a woman and her son
apparently were looking for items in the
dumpster when they found the body.
"At this time we are able to confirm through
tattoos here at the scene that it is the body of
Kosta Karageorge," Weiner said.
It was not immediately clear if Karageorge
may have shot himself before climbing into
the dumpster, police said.
Police found the body near the campus after a
search began when Karageorge went missing
Wednesday. The senior defensive tackle had
last been seen at his apartment in Columbus,
when his roommates said he left to go on a
walk.
The body was found within a couple hundred
yards of Karageorge's home and about a half
block from High Street, the main artery of the
campus. Sunday evening, no one answered
when an Associated Press reporter knocked on
the metal door of Karageorge's apartment.
The player from Columbus was last seen at
his apartment at around 2 a.m. Wednesday.
Team spokesman Jerry Emig said Karageorge
missed practice Wednesday and Thursday,
which his family says was uncharacteristic.
A police report says Karageorge's mother told
authorities he has had concussions and spells
of confusion . She said he texted a message
Wednesday citing the concussions and saying
he was sorry if he was "an embarrassment."
The Buckeyes defeated Michigan on Saturday,
42-28. Defensive lineman Michael Bennett said
afterward that Karageorge had missed
practices and that teammates started getting
nervous Thursday.
"For him to drop off the radar is very unlike
him," said Jeremiah Webber, who coached
Karageorge in wrestling for three years.
University athletic officials said they were
grieved to learn of Karageorge's death.
"It's hit the team hard," team spokesman
Emig said.
Ohio State tweeted a message expressing the
university's sadness over Karageorge's death
Sunday evening.

Karageorge's parents filed a missing-person's
report Wednesday night.
The player's sister, Sophia Karageorge, told
The Columbus Dispatch that he apparently
was upset, and roommates said he went for a
walk, dressed in black from his hat to his
boots.
"We're very concerned that he's not himself
and that he maybe doesn't know what's going
on," she told the newspaper.
The former Buckeyes wrestler joined the
football team as a walk-on this season.
Ohio State Athletic Director Gene Smith said in
a text message when asked about any plans
to honor the player or logistics for the team
to attend the funeral that it was too soon to
answer those questions.
The Buckeyes will play Wisconsin in the Big
Ten championship game Saturday at Lucas Oil
Stadium in Indianapolis.