Heartbroken Alex Foster’s Mother Breaks Silence After Son’s Tragic Death at Baylor

Just two years ago, Markedia Perkins posted a birthday tribute to her son. It was a reel of Alex Foster terrorizing the offense with his big frame. He had just turned 16 then. “Let’s go Alex 15 6”5’ #myjunior Guarantee a sack a game! 🙏🏼🏈” she wrote, proud as any mother could be. He was her everything. Her hope. Her pride. Her future. How could anyone ever see a tragedy looming two years later? 

Now, that same Instagram account, once filled with promise, holds a black and white photo captioned with a gut-wrenching timestamp — “2006-2025.” Markedia Perkins’ Instagram story on May 28 broke several hearts, but never as much as it broke hers. “Lord help me,” she wrote. And that’s something you say when all hope is gone. This is a devastated mother’s scream into the void, aching with disbelief and agony. 

On May 28, life delivered the unthinkable. Alex Foster, the 18-year-old DL at Baylor, was found inside his car in his hometown of Greenville, Mississippi, with multiple gunshot wounds. Per Greenville Police’s report to The Ledger, he was rushed to Delta Health Center, where he succumbed to the wounds 35 minutes later. No arrests. No answers. No closure. Just grief. City Mayor Errick D. Simmons, addressing the community, linked the young man’s death to a growing “surge in violent crimes.” A curfew has been enacted from 9 PM to 6 AM as the city grapples with a wave of senseless violence. 

Alex Foster was a 6’5, 292-pound phenom, Mississippi’s top-ranked player per On3, a 4-star recruit, and the No. 152 overall player in the country. Markedia Perkins also posted the ranking page of her son proudly sitting atop the state. “Number 1 in the state. I’m still proud of my baby,” she wrote. Even in the darkness, her pride in her son’s greatness burned through the pain. At St. Joseph Catholic School in Greenville, he was a star. At Baylor, he was just beginning to carve out his path, having redshirted his freshman season. He was already making noise in spring practice. His HS coach, John Baker, who called him a “real quiet, soft-spoken guy,” said Alex was planning to return to Waco, Texas, this weekend. Instead, the Bears are mourning a brother they won’t get back. 

Baylor University mourns the tragic passing of Alex Foster

Alex Foster’s passing rocked the Baylor football community from the office to the locker room. HC Dave Aranda and AD Mack Rhoades released a joint statement — “We are heartbroken by the unexpected loss of Alex Foster, a beloved member of our football family. Our immediate focus is on supporting Alex’s family and his teammates through this devastating loss. Alex’s memory will forever be part of our hearts and this program.” 

Aranda went on to post a separate message on X saying, “Alex was a beloved member of our Baylor Family, and we are devastated by this loss. In his time at Baylor, he made a long-lasting impact on all of us in the program. Our hearts are broken, and our prayers are with his family, friends, and all those who loved him so deeply.” Baylor freshman teammate Taz Williams Jr. was one of the many to post tributes online. “u hurt me with this one💔 Get yo rest brudda🤞🏾you’ll be missed.” 

The tears haven’t stopped. And they shouldn’t. Because a light like Alex Foster’s should’ve burned for years to come. Instead, it’s been taken from us far too soon. Rest in peace brother.