Just a few weeks back, Julian Fleming, a former five-star prospect playing wide receiver at Ohio State and Penn State, was looking to start his NFL career. The Green Bay Packers signed him after he went undrafted in 2025, even though that didn’t work out. Fleming flunked his physical because of persistent hip and back injuries, putting his dream of playing in the NFL on hold. But then a tragedy struck in a manner that nobody might have ever expected.

On the 23rd of May, Fleming was on a romantic ride in a Yamaha ATV with his girlfriend, Alyssa Boyd, as the passenger on a country road in Bradford County, Pennsylvania. They met with a major accident when a deer ran onto the road and crashed into the ATV. The blow was destructive—23-year-old Alyssa died from her injuries, and paramedics declared her dead at the scene. Fleming suffered severe injuries. Alyssa was a Pennsylvanian, a Columbia High School graduate, and a University of Alabama student. She was one of the biggest supporters of Fleming, used to post sharing experiences with Fleming on social media, and cheered him on throughout his football career.

Since the accident, there has been immense support for Alyssa’s family and Julian. Fleming’s college teammates and coaches at Penn State and Ohio State have all taken to social media to post tributes, sending their love and prayers to Julian and Alyssa’s family. Members of the local community in Pennsylvania and University of Alabama students have held small vigils and recounted memories of Alyssa, remembering her positive energy and how she always cheered the loudest for Julian.

In Alyssa’s memory, friends and loved ones took a heartfelt initiative to establish the Alyssa Boyd Memorial Fund and Scholarship. The idea is to create something meaningful in her name—a means to assist others and keep her alive. The GoFundMe campaign, which Julian himself posted on his social media, with a promise. “Will forever have my heart-I love you.” This function of the fundraiser isn’t only raising money for Alyssa’s service costs but also to create a scholarship fund for local students, something that truly speaks to Alyssa’s generosity. And it’s something selfless.

Julian, who is recovering from his wounds and coping with the unimaginable loss of his girlfriend, has been publicly calling for help for Alyssa’s family. Fleming has urged his fans, friends, family, and anyone who can contribute to the memorial fund to show their efforts towards the family and their love for Alyssa. Fleming’s football future is suspended, but currently, he prioritizes taking care of his late girlfriend’s parents and helping them overcome their daughter’s loss.

Alyssa’s memorial service is going to take place on the 31st of May at First Presbyterian Church. The people are uniting, and individuals are posting about how Alyssa made a contribution to her life, both in Pennsylvania and at AU. David L. Jr. and Lorie A., her parents, are shattered.

Alyssa’s final message: A lasting tribute

Browsing Alyssa Boyd’s Instagram, it’s not possible not to get a surge of feelings when you come across her most recent post with Julian Fleming. Alyssa smiles in the picture with Julian wearing his Penn State jersey, and they are just so overjoyed and pleased. It’s the caption that truly gets you, though. Alyssa was concise, simply posting, “Proud of you 3 🤍”

“3” was Julian’s number, and that small fact says a lot. It isn’t a long, sappy message, but it’s full of meaning. You can sense the pride she felt about him, not only as a footballer but as a human being. That white heart emoji? That’s a gentle, quiet kind of love, the kind that doesn’t have to yell to be heard.

Friends and followers filled the comments. Some said things such as, “Rest in Peace, sweet girl,” or “RIP, you were too sweet for this world!” Others simply left heart emojis. Everyone who looked at the post could tell that all of them could feel the real connection between Alyssa and Julian. What’s really tragic now is reading that message with what happened just a few days later. That simple “Proud of you 3 🤍” now has an entirely different meaning.