Pittsburgh Pirates Fan in Critical Condition After Fall Identified as Ex-Standout Football Player

The Pittsburgh Pirates fan who fell over the top of a 21-foot outfield wall at PNC Park has been identified as a former standout football player, as he remains in critical condition after Wednesday’s incident.

The man has been identified as Kavan Markwood, according to reports from Pittsburgh newspaper TribLive, ESPN and The Athletic, on Thursday, May 1.

Markwood was a 2022 South Allegheny High School graduate and was named the football team’s MVP in his senior year, according to The Athletic. He went on to play college football at Walsh University and Wheeling University, TribLive reported.

“Everyone at South Alle­gheny would say he is a hardworking, highly resilient young man. He’s a fighter. He’s going to need that resiliency now. But he has it,” South Allegheny School District spokeswoman Laura Thomson told TribLive. “He’s touched a lot of lives at South Allegheny. We’re a small community. He’s a household name here. Everyone knows him. He has the prayers and the support of the South Alle­gheny community.”

Markwood’s football coach Frank Cortazzo said the former linebacker is “not only an outstanding athlete but an even more exceptional young man.”

“His resilience, heart and strength are truly unmatched,” Markwood’s former coach told TribLive. “Please keep him, his family and his friends in your

Markwood was at the game with his girlfriend and another friend, CBS News reported. The friend with Markwood and his girlfriend reportedly jumped down from the fence to check on Markwood after he fell.

He remains in the hospital in critical condition, according to the reports.

The Pittsburgh area native fell from the 21-foot fence in right field during the seventh inning of the Pirates’ game on Wednesday, April 30 against the Chicago Cubs, PEOPLE previously reported. Players immediately waved for medical staff to come help the fan, who was treated on the field before being carted off and rushed to a local hospital.

The incident shook players, coaches, and fans in attendance at the game.

“We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred [Wednesday] night,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement this week. “It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced. We are devastated.”

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Pirates star outfield Andrew McCutcen was batting when Markwood fell and said the team is “devastated” over the incident, which Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said is being treated as an accident.

“We’re just hoping for the best for him,” McCutchen told reporters, according to ESPN. “I hope he pulls through because he’s the reason why we are here. He’s the reason why we play the game. People that show their support so we can do something we love, partly because of him and because of fans. So, I just pray that he’s all right.”