New Details On NJ Athlete's Death: Coach Says It Was 'God's Plan'

New details have emerged in the shocking death of a New Jersey athlete that his coach suggested was part of "God's plan."

Jeff Sims, who recently left to take the head coaching job at Missouri Southern University in Joplin, said Braeden Bradforth's death from heatstroke at Garden City Community College was "unfortunate" but "God has a plan."

"We've had two investigations and everybody knows what happened that day," Sims told KCUR regarding the Kansas death of the Jersey Shoe teen. "The reality is I'm not the doctor. It didn't happen at football practice. It happened after practice."

Here is what KCUR and The Associated Press also found:

• Bradforth ran 36, 50-yard sprints on his first day of practice at a much higher altitude than the Jersey Shore.
• One expert in sports medicine called it a “do-or-die” drill.
• Teammates found Bradforth slumped against an outside dorm wall after practice, and emails obtained by the Associated Press said Bradforth was “making a stressful moan” when an assistant coach arrived on the scene.
• An emergency medical service report said 25 minutes passed before paramedics were called.
• Multiple players said Sims refused to let players drink during practice.

The 19-year-old college football player had just graduated from a high school at the Jersey Shore when he died after practice a year ago, according to reports.

Bradforth, a defensive lineman out of Neptune High School, was found "medically distressed" in a campus dorm room after his first day of practice as a freshman at Garden City Community College in Kansas, according to The Garden City Telegram.

Bradforth reportedly may have had a blood clot that likely traveled to his heart, causing a heart attack, the team's then-head coach, Sims, was quoted as saying in Sports Illustrated.

Bradforth had arrived at Garden City and Sims told The Wichita Eagle: “He had a great day and great attitude and was focused on things he needed to be successful in school and football."

In 2013, Bradforth was part of the Jersey Shore American Youth Football Eighth-Grade Unlimited All-Star team that won the AYF National Championships in Kissimmee, Fla., according to The Asbury Park Press.

A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for the family.

The family said it was "with great pride and enthusiasm that Braeden set forth on a journey he had planned for his entire life."

"From early childhood until now, Braeden had aspired to make it to the NFL," according to the GoFundMe page. "As a result, he worked tirelessly to ensure that he would one day accomplish that goal. Braeden's dreams of success were not driven by selfish desires, but instead he aspired to be a blessing to his family and give back to his local community."

Read more: Monmouth County Mom Wants Answers For Son's Football Death

Bradforth had big dreams and a big heart "filled with the passion needed to bring all of his dreams to past. Not only was he a talented athlete; he was one of the most jovial, loving and humble individuals to cross one's path."

"His ambition and determination to defy the odds, pushed him to develop the skills and knowledge needed to obtain a football scholarship," according to the page. "It is with great heartbreak that we announce that Braeden was snatched away last night."