USM punter dies

Southern Miss punter Peter Wilkes passed away Saturday morning.

Authorities say Wilkes died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head early Friday at his Union City, Tenn. home.

The funeral will take place at 1p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Union City Second Baptist Church (831 Everett Blvd.) in Union City, Tenn. Following the church service, there will be a burial at Cates Cemetery near Martin, Tenn. White-Ranson Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.

Wilkes, the 18-year-old son of the late Rev. Ben Wilkes and Kay Mansfield Wilkes, was an invited walk-on at Southern Miss.

The freshman was home for fall break on Thursday, and was not scheduled to travel with the team for Saturday’s game at Louisville.

Brenna Jo Duncan, a senior at Union City High School where Wilkes also attended, said she and Wilkes would have been dating for five years on Oct. 10.

“As I sat in front of the hospital bed Saturday when they pronounced him dead, I just couldn’t stop sobbing,” she said. “I wanted to die; it was the worst day of my life.”

Duncan emphasized she did not believe Wilkes’ death was intentional. “He was so full of life, such a phenomenal person,” she said.

Marla Lawton, a freshman at Southern Miss, joined in mourning the loss of her “best friend.”

“Peter is the type of guy that’s friendly to everyone and had a smile that lit up the room...one look at him and you were instantly hooked,” she said. “He was my partner in crime…he made such an impact on my life I will never forget the moments that we shared.”

Labrica Ward, a classmate at UC High School, said, “Peter was always funny, a really happy guy. I still can’t believe he’s gone.”

Ward said she found out when a friend called to tell her the morning after Wilkes’ death. “I’m still in a state of shock,” she said.

Southern Miss head coach Larry Fedora said, “He was a great kid – a kid that understood his role on the football team and did everything he could to be the best he could be.

“He was truly a team player, just getting to be on the football team and suit up when he had a chance. He was living a dream to be a college football player at USM.”

Teammate Will Martin echoed Fedora’s words. “Peter was a good guy to be around,” he said. “He always had a smile on his face and was just happy to be here living out his dreams of playing college ball.”

Fedora said he called a team meeting Friday to inform the players, and said they talked about the situation at length. The team plans to honor Wilkes at the earliest possible juncture.