James, 17, died almost instantly after falling from a third-floor balcony at about 6:25 p.m. at the Days Inn on Front Beach Road, according to police reports cited by WJHG-TV in Panama City.
Friday marked the first day of St. Xavier’s spring break, so school officials were scattered Friday night and could not be reached for comment. But word of the incident spread quickly throughout the community as classmates and football fans mourned the standout player, who had signed to play college football at Notre Dame.
A Facebook group called “RIP Matt James” had more than 1,527 members as of 11:30 p.m. Friday, and an outpouring of prayers and affection for James and his family filled the page’s “wall.”
When reached for comment Friday night by Blue & Gold.com, St. Xavier football coach Steve Specht said, "I just can't do this right now."
Luke Massa, St. Xavier’s senior quarterback last fall and a fellow Notre Dame recruit, was with James in Florida. Massa was not injured in the incident.
“Luke is devastated,” Massa’s father, Gary, said late Friday. “He lost one of his best friends.”
Added Massa of James: “This kid was a great kid, I can tell you that.”
In Florida, Panama City Beach police are continuing to investigate details of the incident.
“The best that we know is Matt fell,” Gary Massa said.
Word of James’ death spread so fast, friends had already arranged an impromptu vigil and started gathering at the school by 10 p.m. In the next hour, at least 75 cars had arrived. Candles lined the entrance to the football field, where the lights were turned on. Students, along with the school’s choir director, stood with candles in their hands.
, set for 9 a.m. Saturday morning at St. X's chapel, was announced during Friday's vigil. All Bomber football players, past and present, were asked to attend. It was unclear whether the event would be open to the public.
Kyle Bedinghaus, a classmate and friend of Matt, was one of the organizers of the vigil. He said just Wednesday, before Matt left for Panama City, his friends told him to be safe and not to do anything to mess up his scholarship.
“It’s hard to believe it happened,” the 18-year-old senior said. “You hear it happens all the time, but when it’s someone you know, it’s scary.”
Several students at the vigil described James as a gentle giant who was down-to-earth and nice to those around him.
Choir director Karl Thomsen said Matt was a good student and “a giant teddy bear.”
“I’m still not reacting,” he said. “It’s unbelievable. What do you say to these kids?”
The school had just recently mourned the death of another classmate, Kevin Le, who was hit by a car and killed in September. The news of Matt’s death, Thomsen said, “will hit them hard.”
Some students knew Matt better than others, but it was a time for everyone to come together, Bedinhaus said. “He’s been our brother for four years. To lose him so close to graduation is just a shame. He had so much potential.”
James, a 6-foot-6, 291-pound offensive tackle, earned USA Today first-team All-America honors last season while leading St. Xavier to a No. 4 ranking in the final Division I state poll. As a sophomore, James was a member of the Bombers’ state championship team.
James signed with Brian Kelly’s Fighting Irish on Feb. 3 after also considering Ohio State. The lineman also had looked at Florida and Cincinnati earlier in the recruiting process.
James said he felt most comfortable with the Fighting Irish coaching staff and players and made up his mind the night before he signed.
“It was a really tough decision,” James said at the time. “...I like the situation of being in the first class with Coach (Brian) Kelly there.”
James, a U.S. Army All-American, had scholarship offers from the likes of Alabama, Tennessee, LSU, Florida State and North Carolina, among others.
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