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Pittsburgh Pirates fan injured in fall identified as 20-year-old former college football player

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones05/01/25brianjones_93
Pirates fan leaves on a stretch after fall vs. Cubs
Charles LeClaire | Imagn Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates fan who fell from an outfield wall at PNC Park on Wednesday is a former college football player. According to TribLive, the fan’s name is Kavan Markwood, and he played linebacker for Wheeling University in 2023.

A spokesperson for the South Allegheny School District, where Markwood played high school football, confirmed it’s the 20-year-old who is fighting for his life at a Pittsburgh-area hospital after he fell to the warning track during the Pirates game against the Chicago Cubs.

“Everyone at South Allegheny would say he is a hard-working, highly resilient young man,” the district rep, Laura Thomson, said. “He’s a fighter. He’s going to need that resiliency now.  He’s touched a lot of lives at South Allegheny. We’re a small community. He’s a household name here. Everyone knows him. He has the prayers and the support of the South Allegheny community.”

Kavan Markwood fell over a three-foot railing in the front row of Section 142, in the bottom of the seventh inning while celebrating an Andrew McCutchen double that drove in the go-ahead runs in a 4-3 victory. He fell 21 feet, and the game was stopped as Pittsburgh Police, EMS and Pirates and Cubs team trainers attended to Markwood.

Pittsburgh Pirates owner sends a message to the fan

“We are all deeply saddened and truly heartbroken after the terrible accident that occurred last night. It was one of the most difficult moments many of us have ever experienced,” Pirates owner Bob Nutting said in a statement. “We are devastated. Pirates baseball is a community, and our fans are like family. In times like these, we must come together, support one another, and keep him and his loved ones in our prayers. We also want to thank and appreciate the efforts of the first responders who rushed to his attention and provided him with compassionate care.”

Before playing college football at Wheeling University, Markwood spent time at Walsh University. His former Wheeling coach, Zac Bruney, told TMZ Sports that he left the program in 2024 for work, but the team hoped to have him back this fall. During the 2023 season, Markwood played in five of the team’s 11 games and recorded four tackles. Wheeling University is located in West Virginia.