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The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

The independent news website of The Kent Stater & KSTV

KentStater

The Kent State football team does a team huddle and chant around the rock, which has Jason Bitsko’s football number 54 on it, on August 20, 2015. Kent State University is bringing back his number for the season. Junior left tackle Reno Reda will now be wearing his number.

Reno Reda selected to wear Jason Bitsko’s 54 this football season

Ian Flickinger August 30, 2015

Football is a game of numbers: completions thrown, yards gained, points scored. The list goes on and on. For the Kent State football team, the number 54 goes beyond the twill of the jersey.Jason Bitsko,...

The Kent State football team prays around the rock on Aug. 20, 2015 before they paint it in honor of Jason Bitsko. Bitsko was a starting center on the football team and passed away on Aug. 20, 2014. 

Football team paints rock in honor of Jason Bitsko

Emily Mills August 20, 2015

The Kent State football team painted the rock Thursday in memory of Jason Bitsko, a member of the football team who was found unresponsive in his off-campus apartment on Aug. 20 of last year.More than...

Photo courtesy of Kent State University

Bitsko’s death continues to raise questions of athletes competing with heart conditions

Richie Mulhall January 28, 2015

On August 19, late Kent State football player Jason Bitsko got ready for bed to rest his body before 9 a.m. football practice. He sent a few goodnight texts and went to sleep around 11 p.m. The next morning,...

Photo courtesy of Kent State University

Remembering Jason Bitsko

Richie Mulhall January 11, 2015

The Portage County Coroner’s Office ruled that Kent State football player Jason Bitsko died as a result of an enlarged heart, the Ravenna Record-Courier reported Tuesday afternoon.Bitsko’s death, which...

Jason Bitsko

Kent State football player Jason Bitsko died of enlarged heart, coroner said

Richie Mulhall December 23, 2014

The Portage County Coroner's Office ruled that Kent State football player Jason Bitsko died as a result of having an enlarged heart, the Ravenna Record-Courier reported Dec. 23.Bitsko's death, which appeared...

Richie Mulhall is a multimedia news major and the sports editor for The Kent Stater. Contact him at rmulhal1@kent.edu.

Commentary: #stayfocused

Richie Mulhall December 4, 2014

“There are 86,400 seconds in a day. Make sure you use one of those to thank god for everything you have #stayfocused.”Some people might have long forgotten this popular tweet that cropped up on Twitter...

Richie Mulhall is a multimedia news major and the sports editor for The Kent Stater. Contact him at rmulhal1@kent.edu.

Opinion: Heart of a Golden Flash

Richie Mulhall November 30, 2014

Ordinarily, I am not a big fan of the word “adversity.”As an avid sports fan and sports editor of The Kent Stater, I constantly hear athletes using the term “adversity” to describe their seasonal...

Our View: Football win much needed boost for KSU

DKS Editors October 19, 2014

Kent State, we’ve been through a lot together this semester.Before school started, beloved football center Jason Bitsko passed away, leaving our football team to mourn the loss of a fellow player and...

Kent State wide receiver Chris Humphrey looks up after missing the last chance for a touchdown during the game against The University of Massachusetts Saturday, Oct. 12, 2014.

Visual Kent

Jacob Byk October 14, 2014

Kent State football has had a rough time this semester. From losing Jason Bitsko to the devastating defeat against The Ohio State University, Kent State is struggling. But even after the last touchdown...

Ryan Bitsko (middle), the father of deceased Jason Bitsko, laughs with friends at the memorial service held in his honor on September 10, 2014. Bitsko drove three and a half hours to come for the hour long service from his home town of Huber Heights.

Visual Kent

Jacob Byk September 16, 2014

I’ve covered only a few funerals of people who were near my age when they died. Memorial services though, like the one pictured here, are usually what upset me the most. By the time a service comes around,...

Randy Bitsko, father of Jason Bitsko, watches a speaker at the memorial service held his son’s honor in the Newman Center on Wendesday, Sept. 10, 2014. Jason Bitsko passed away suddenly two weeks prior to the beginning of the Fall season.

Bitsko remembered

Haley Keding September 10, 2014

Friends and family gathered Wednesday night at the University Parish Newman Center to celebrate the life of Jason Bitsko.Bitsko, 21, died unexpectedly Wednesday, August 20. He was set to be the football...

Flashes struggle to score, fall to Ohio in opener

Taylor Rosen August 30, 2014

Box ScoreOhio managed to overcome four, second-half fumbles and kicked the game-winning field goal as time expired to defeat the Flashes in the season opener, 17-14.“Tonight was a tough loss,”...