Linebacker Jalen Shaffer spent four years playing football at Wheaton College. He had moved on to mentoring middle schoolers in Grand Rapids. On Saturday, he died after drowning in Lake Michigan.

The Ottawa County Sheriff's Office received an emergency call Saturday, June 13, regarding swimmers struggling in Lake Michigan, just outside Grand Haven.

Jalen Shaffer (26) and Philip LoChirco (24) drowned in that incident.

First responders pulled both men from the water and tried to revive them, but neither survived. Shaffer's father, Joel, later shared what actually happened out there.

"Attempting to save his football brother, with whom he played for 4 years at Wheaton," Joel wrote, per a Facebook post shared on Sunday, June 14.

At the time of his death, Shaffer was working at Bridge Street Ministries, mentoring middle school students in the city. His father described what that work meant to him.

"He was truly one of the most godly men I've known in my life," Joel wrote, per Us Weekly. "I saw him daily modeling the fruits of the Spirit and was so proud of him, especially when I saw him pour his life into the next generation of disadvantaged yet high-potential youth in our city."

Shaffer's former coach, Tim Swore, at NorthPointe Christian High School, remembered the kind of person he was growing up.

"If you needed a job done and you had to count on somebody, Jalen was going to be your guy," Swore told WOOD TV. "If anybody were asked about Jalen Shaffer, I think the No. 1 thing people would say is he's absolutely unselfish, humble and extremely talented."

NorthPointe principal Tom Molenkamp added that Shaffer always set a good example for the kids who came after him.

Shaffer Was Remembered for Who He Was Off the Field

People close to him said his character stood out long before college. His former coaches at NorthPointe Christian remembered a kid who never craved attention, even as a standout running back in high school.

"He didn't crave the attention. He was extremely humble," Swore said, per WOOD TV.

His family has deep ties to the NorthPointe community. His mother worked in the school's support services program, and his sisters all graduated from there, too.

A celebration of life for Shaffer is planned for June 19.

A GoFundMe was set up to help cover funeral costs for Shaffer's family. The page made clear what the people closest to him wanted most.

"We ask that you cover them first in prayer, and if you are able to, give financially to help alleviate these costs," the GoFundMe page reads.

The fundraiser had already raised more than $27,000. His father asked for prayers not just for the family, but for the students Shaffer mentored every day.

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Written by

Farheen Fathima

Edited by

Shubhi Rathore