Carley McCord is set to be honored by her alma mater. This week, Northwestern State University announced that they will be honoring the late 30-year-old sports journalist who was killed in a private plane crash along with four other people en route to the College Football Playoff semifinal between the LSU Tigers and Oklahoma Sooners in Atlanta, Georgia.
McCord, who was the daughter-in-law of LSU offensive coordinator Steve Ensminger, graduated from Northwestern State University and Louisiana State University and was a promising sports journalist who covered the New Orleans Saints and New Orleans Pelicans.
The McCord family announced that the scholarship in Carley’s name will go towards women pursuing a career in sports journalism. Her family will choose the scholarship recipient every year, according to the Acadiana Advocate.
“Carley would be so excited about this scholarship,” Kaleigh McCord-Pedersen, McCord’s sister, told the paper. “She would have been ecstatic. She was so, so enthusiastic about women in sports. It was such a big deal for her that women got the opportunity to have the career in sports that men can have.”
The plane carrying McCord and other passengers reached an altitude of 900 feet before experiencing difficulties. There was no distress signal sent from the plane before it crashed, according to vice chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board Bruce Landsberg.
“We are devastated by the loss of such an amazing talent and valued member of our WDSU family,” said the station’s vice president and general manager, Joel Vilmenay, via NBC News. “Carley’s passion for sports journalism and her deep knowledge of Louisiana sports, from High School to the Professional ranks, made her an exceptional journalist. As we reflect on her impressive body of work, we offer our deepest condolences to her family.”
The exact cause of the crash remains unknown.
Other deceased victims included the 51-year-old pilot Ian Biggs and a 15-year-old boy, Michael Vincent.
Our deepest condolences go out to all of the families and friends of the victims who lost their lives in the tragic event.