Warren Hills Regional High School quarterback Evan Murray died after a tackle

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Warren Hills Regional High School quarterback Evan Murray died on Friday
He felt 'woozy' after a tackle during a game and was taken to hospital
The exact cause of the talented teen's death was not immediately known, though he reportedly may have suffered a heart attack
Shocked community paid tribute to Murray on social media, with one teammate and friend saying he was 'a guy everyone wanted to be like'

By Christopher Brennan For Dailymail.com and Associated Press

Published: 16:28 EST, 28 September 2015 | Updated: 07:04 EST, 29 September 2015

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A New Jersey high school football player who suffered an injury on the field that sent him to the hospital died from an internal bleeding from a lacerated spleen, according to the autopsy.

Warren Hills Regional High School quarterback Evan Murray died Friday night after being tackled in a game earlier in the evening.

The 17-year-old felt 'woozy' after the hit but reportedly tried reassuring his teammates he would be fine as he was taken away by ambulance around halftime.

The community that called him a 'hometown hero' is continuing mourning the sudden death, which medical examiners have called accidental.

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Evan Murray, a 17-year-old high school quarterback in New Jersey, died Friday night of what medical examiners say was an internal hemorrhage from a lacerated spleen

Murray reportedly felt 'woozy' after he was hit in the game Friday night. His teammates say that he was hit multiple times and are not sure which collision damaged his spleen

'He tried giving a thumbs-up to the rest of the team, and all of us cheered,' Kaitlin Bell, 16, a junior varsity cheerleader at Warren Hills High School, told the New York Daily News.

'Our coach was telling us he was going to be alright,' she said through tears. 'We didn't expect anything would happen.'

Murray was hit in the backfield, but was able to get to the sideline, where he later collapsed.

The autopsy released Monday said that Murray had an enlarged spleen that made him susceptible to injury, according to Lehigh Valley Live.

Medical examiners said that he had no underlying heart condition or head trauma.

Teammates of Murray said that he had taken several hits during the course of the game before the one that sent him to the hospital where he later died.

After his death the 17-year-old and three sport athelete was described as a 'hometown hero' by friends and teammates shocked by his sudden passing

A GoFundMe page for Murray's family had raised more than $50,000 in memory of the popular athlete as of Monday afternoon

'I’m not sure if it was that last hit on him that actually did the damage, or previous plays. I do know that he wasn’t feeling too good prior to the hit and seemed tired,' defensive end Bailey Lieberman told NJ.com.

'He did take a pretty hard hit just before the last (hit), where he took a helmet to the stomach'.

The unexplained death left the surrounding community in shock, with tributes to the young man pouring in from those who knew him.

Murray was a three-sport athlete at Warren Hills and had been the football team's starting quarterback for three years as well as being in the National Honor Society.

'A guy everyone wanted to be like. A true hometown hero. You'll be missed. You'll always be the leader of this team,' teammate Mark Formichelli posted on Twitter.

News of Murray's passing was especially difficult on his girlfriend Bailey Reyes.

'I lost the love of my life last night. I miss you Evan and I love you indefinitely,' she posted on Twitter.

At a memorial Saturday morning, Reyes placed a note that said 'Losing you last night was the most devastating thing I have ever endured. I will love you forever'.

A GoFundMe page set up to benefit his family and had already raised more than $50,000 as of Monday afternoon.

Tributes to the teen have poured in from those who knew him as well as those reading about the news, including New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and the New York Jets

An i memorial with flowers, candles and pictures of Murray was created by his friends. His girlfriend placed a note that said 'Losing you last night was the most devastating thing I have ever endured'

'Evan was a bright kid who excelled in academics and in sports. 'Varsity QB since his sophomore year, varsity baseball pitcher, and varsity basketball, Evan was always doing something to give back to his community,' the page said.

'Please help us while we help the Murray family in their time of need. Donating anything with help!'

Murray's school made grief counselors available Monday as students cope with the loss.

Condolences for the young man spread beyond just those who knew him.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie posted on Twitter: 'On behalf of all the people of New Jersey, Mary Pat and I send our heartfelt thoughts and prayers to the Murray family on the loss of Evan'.

The New York Jets tweeted: 'Our deepest condolences go out to the family and friends of Evan Murray'.

A wake for the teenager is scheduled for Wednesday in Washington Township and a funeral is scheduled for Thursday.

Warren Hills alumna Melissa Smith started a petition asking for the high school to rename its field 'Evan Murray Memorial Field'. It had gained more than 2,700 signatures on Change.org on Monday.

University of North Carolina's National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, 77 high school football players have died nationwide as the result of injuries directly related to the game in the past two decades, according to MyCentralJersey.

The center reported five direct fatalities on the scholastic gridiron last season, during which about 1.1million high school players competed, according to National Federation of State High School Association data.

Direct fatalities are classified as deaths that occurred as the result of competition.