Longtime friends remember Austin Box

University of Oklahoma linebacker Austin Box was fun and upbeat, always there for others in a pinch, friends said. Box died Thursday.

BY BRYAN PAINTER bpainter@opubco.com | Modified: May 19, 2011 at 4:56 pm | Published: May 19, 2011

Matthew Athey, also a student at the University of Oklahoma, shared memories of his longtime friend and college roommate, football player Austin Box, who died Thursday.

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“He was always there for me, a good person, a great friend,” Athey said. “There'd be times I'd be down or going through a rough time and he was always the first one there to put his arm around my shoulder, just being there.

“We really didn't need words, it was more a feeling. We were that close.”

Athey said Box “gave it all,” was a hard worker, and never complained.

Enid native Jason Gilbow, who lives in the Oklahoma City metro area, had played in a fantasy football league with Box for a couple of years. He described Box as “fun, upbeat, positive.”

“The cool thing about Austin, he was a starting linebacker for OU and he was just one of the guys,” Gilbow said.