UNT Football Player Dead Following Car Crash

DENTON (CBSDFW.COM) – A University of North Texas football player is dead after a wreck on I-35W in Denton Thursday night. The player, Josh Rake, was removed from life support Friday afternoon.

Rake, 20, lost control and rolled his truck around 7:35 p.m. Thursday, Denton Police said. The accident happened in the southbound lanes of I-35W just north of Crawford Road, soon after the college student left an event at the UNT Athletic Center.

Rake was ejected from the vehicle and taken by Careflite to Texas Health-Harris Methodist Fort Worth. Police do not know what caused him to lose control.

Rake was a 2009 graduate of Carroll Senior High School in Southlake, where he played wide receiver and cornerback for the football team and also played baseball.

UNT Head Coach Todd Dodge said Rake joined the team in September as a walk-on, and was supposed to suit up for the first time Saturday when the team hosts Louisiana-Lafayette. "He's made his mark on this team already with his unselfishness and day-to-day work and helping prepare our team." Dodge said.

"We're going to play very hard for him tomorrow," said UNT quarterback Riley Dodge, "and we just want the family to know we're praying for him, and the whole North Texas football team, we're going to play our hearts out for him."

Riley Dodge not only played with Rake at UNT, but at Carroll High School. "It's very hard, especially with the kind of guy Josh is, it just hurts us so bad."

Rake was so excited about suiting up for Saturday's home game that he had texted his dad Dodge said.

A moment of silence was held for Rake Friday night at Dragon Stadium in Southlake. Similar events are planned for UNT's game Saturday night at 6:30 at Fouts Field.

The accident remains under investigation.