Submitted by SCAFoundation on Fri, 10/04/2013 - 12:00am

Kansas football recruit Andre Maloney has died after suffering a stroke during a game Thursday night.

Maloney, a senior receiver at Overland Park (Kan.) Shawnee Mission West High School, was transported by ambulance from Shawnee Mission South District Stadium to Research Medical Center in Kansas City, Mo.

Friday evening, the hospital told the Shawnee Mission School District that Maloney had died.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with Andre's family, teammates, coaches, fellow students, and the SM West staff during this difficult time," district spokesperson Leigh Anne Neal said in a statement. "The tremendous outpouring of concern expressed today by the our community has been greatly appreciated. We will continue to honor the family's request this time to respect their privacy."

West coach Tim Callaghan told ESPN.com that he immediately noticed something was wrong when Maloney, who had just scored on a 63-yard touchdown pass, got a drink of water and was trying to sit on the bench when he became disoriented.

Two doctors and West's trainer treated Maloney immediately before emergency personnel arrived and transported him to Overland Park Regional Medical Center. He was then transferred to Research Medical Center, which has a dedicated neurological intensive care unit at the Midwest Neuroscience Institute.

"He was pretty much untouched, so I don't think anybody would say it happened on the play," West athletic director Don Perkins told the Kansas City Star. "For me to say anything else would be speculation, but obviously our thoughts and prayers are with him."

Maloney was one of the top prospects in the Jayhawks' class. Even though college coaches aren't able to talk publicly about recruits, the impact was felt in Lawrence.

Kansas coach Charlies Weis offered his condolences in a series of tweets Friday night.

"We are absolutely devastated by the news of the passing of Andre Maloney. Our hearts are broken at the loss of such an outstanding young man," Weis wrote. "Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, especially his mother, Rosalita. We would like to extend our sincerest condolences to Tim Callaghan, the Shawnee Mission West program & the student body as they deal with this loss. We knew from the moment we met Andre just how special he was and he will never be forgotten. The Jayhawk family will forever hold Andre close to our hearts.

Maloney, a 6-foot-1, 180-pound three-star prospect, had scholarship offers from Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Minnesota, Missouri, Oklahoma State and Tulsa before committing to the Jayhawks this summer.

Maloney had 590 all-purpose yards and four touchdowns and was averaging 26 yards per reception through four games this season. As a junior, he helped West win the program's first Class 6A state championship since 1985.

SOURCE: ESPN.com