A tragic house fire claimed the life of former NFL star Quentin Moses over the weekend. The fire occurred in the city of Monroe, Georgia early Sunday morning and the home was fully engulfed by the time emergency services arrived. A neighbor identified as Melanie Anderson stated to media that around 6 a.m. she noticed an orange glow through her curtains. She went on to state, “ …and curiosity got the best of me. I pulled the curtain open and saw the flames coming out through the back of the house.”
Anderson stated she banged on a window of the burning house and shouted, “It’s Melanie. Your house is on fire!” Another neighbor broke a window and smoked billowed out as fire trucks arrived. An unconscious Moses was carried out of the home by rescue personnel and later was pronounced dead at Clearview Medical Center.
As firefighters were battling the blaze, the roof collapsed. Soon, the fire was extinguished and the smoking debris was searched. Tragically, the bodies of Andria Godard, 31, and her 10-year-old daughter, Jasmine Godard, were recovered.
Moses had a stellar career when playing college football at the University of Georgia. He played defensive end and was part of the 2005 SEC Championship team. He then played professional football on three different NFL teams but gained his most fame as a linebacker with the Miami Dolphins from 2007 through 2010.
After leaving the NFL, he became the assistant football coach at Reinhardt University in Waleska, Georgia, which is an hour north of Atlanta. According to school officials, he was in his fifth season as defensive line coach.
Reinhardt University President Kina S. Mallard stated that the school and the football team were devastated at the loss of Moses. In a statement on behalf of the school’s leadership team, she said, “We want you to know that we stand with you as you grieve.”
Head Coach James Miller called Moses a vital part of the team and stated, “But more than that, he was a person who believed in our student-athletes and worked hard every day to help each athlete perform at the highest level on the field and in the classroom. We will miss his leadership, and I will miss his friendship.”
The university is planning a campus vigil for Moses on Tuesday of this week.
