Michael Gavin, a sophomore in the School of Arts and Sciences, died on October 14 from complications of a rare form of brain cancer.

Mr. Gavin grew up in West Chester, Pennsylvania. He attended St. Aloysius School, St. Agnes School, the Haverford School, then The Hun School of Princeton in the hopes of playing Division I football. In 2020 he earned recognition as First Team, All Area New Jersey  Defensive Tackle, and an invitation to the 2021 Under Armour All-America Football Camp Series in Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Gavin played an impressive 2021 season, which earned him All-MAPL, All-League, and All-Prep recognition, and saw his team crowned MAPL Champions. After being admitted to Penn, he was a member of the Class of 2026 in the College of Arts and Sciences, where he was a defensive lineman for the Penn football team. As a football player at Penn, he received the Coach Lake award for demonstrating leadership and Penn pride. In June of 2022, he learned that he had glioblastoma, a rare form of brain cancer for which there is no cure.

“Michael accepted the devastating news and decided that he wanted to fight the disease as a Penn student-athlete,” said Mr. Gavin’s family. “The entire Penn community that came into contact with Michael demonstrated that kindness is everywhere, meeting him where he was throughout his battle and fueling his will to live.”

“He will forever be one of the toughest and bravest men I have ever met. His legacy will live on in all our hearts, and he will forever be a part of the Penn football family. On behalf of the staff and team, I offer my deepest condolences to the Gavin family and to all of those who had the honor to know and love Michael,” said Ray Priore, the George A. Munger Head Coach of Penn Football.

He is survived by his parents; his sister, Annabel; his brother, Gabriel; grandparents; and many aunts, uncles, and cousins. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to advance research in neuro-oncology at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. A memorial to Mr. Gavin will take place at Penn Football’s next home game vs. Brown on October 27.