Tuscalola, AL (WBRC): Aaron Douglas, a football player for the Alabama Crimson Tide, was found dead Thursday morning at a home in Florida where he attended a party the night before. The cause of the death was not immediately known.

Douglas’ death was first confirmed Thursday to FOX6 Sports by an assistant coach at the University of Tennessee and Douglas’ former high school coach. It was later confirmed by the University of Alabama Athletics Department.

“It is with tremendous sadness that we received the news of the passing of Aaron Douglas,” said Alabama Director of Athletics Mal Moore in a statement to FOX6 News. “Our prayers and sympathies are with the Douglas family at this tragic time.”

“It is a tragedy anytime you lose someone close to you and even more so when it is a member of your family,” said UA head football coach Nick Saban in the statement. “Aaron was a part of our family and always will be a part of our family at Alabama. He was an outstanding young man and we were excited about what he had accomplished as a player and a person in the short time he was with us.

Douglas was found dead in a home near Jacksonville, FL. Police had not yet announced the cause of death, but Fernandina Beach Police Chief James Hurley did issue a statement Thursday afternoon, saying the case remained under investigation.

“According to witness accounts, the victim reportedly left his friends last night after dinner to go by taxi cab to Jacksonville,” Chief Hurley said in a statement. “While en route, he was apparently contacted by two local women and invited to a party.”

Chief Hurley said the taxi took Douglas to the house between 11:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. and he was seen there as late as 2:00 a.m.

“When the male resident and others woke this morning, they found the victim on the second-floor balcony, apparently deceased,” Chief Hurley said. “The police and EMS were called and the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.”

Chief Hurley said the cause of death was pending determination by the Medical Examiner’s Office and that the department was investigating possible illegal activities at the party.

“The Fernandina Beach Police Department is also investigating the possibility of illegal alcohol consumption by some at the party,” Chief Hurley said. “The police department has a very proactive policy regarding enforcement of alcohol and narcotics laws and encourages citizens to call the police department to report house parties of this type. Because these incidents can sometimes result in a variety of negative outcomes, such as violent fights, sexual assault, domestic violence, DUI-related traffic crashes, multi-drug toxicity deaths, and vandalism and littering, it is entirely appropriate for police officers to monitor the activity and confirm that no laws are being broken.”

Douglas, 21, a native of Maryville, TN, transferred to Alabama from Arizona Western College in January 2011 and practiced with the Crimson Tide during spring drills. Douglas began his collegiate career at the University of Tennessee, where he earned Freshman All-America honors in 2009. After that season, Douglas transferred to Arizona Western College and earned NJCAA All-America recognition in 2010.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to his parents, David and Karla, who are two of the best people you will ever meet and the love they had for their son was something very special,” Saban said. “As a father, there is nothing we can say to describe the loss of a son. Our Alabama family has sustained a tragic loss and the Alabama family is grieving that loss. We will be here to support Aaron’s family in any way we can.”

Douglas started 10 games at tackle and saw action in 13 contests as a redshirt freshman in 2009 at Tennessee after changing positions from tight end. He was named the SEC offensive lineman of the week following the Vols win over Memphis in 2009 and earned Freshman All-SEC honors from league coaches.

A standout tight end during his high school career at Maryville (Tenn.) High School, Douglas was twice named the Class 4A Mr. Football Lineman of the Year in Tennessee while helping Maryville to a 60-0 record with four consecutive Class 4A state championships.

Douglas’ father, David, was an offensive lineman for UT in the mid-1980s, while his mother, Karla Horton Douglas, started three seasons for the Lady Vols basketball team and contributed to head coach Pat Summitt’s first national title team.