One hundred classmates of Tyler Cole lined the parking lot of North High School in Eastlake Sunday night and 50 more lined the driveway of Cole's home.

They lined up with candles in memory of the 16-year-old junior who suddenly died Sunday while doing what he loved most, playing sports.

Cole, as well as some other juvenile males, were playing a game of touch football on a practice football field at Wickliffe High School, according to Wickliffe police Lt. Pat Hengst.

At some point during the game, Cole ran a pass route, the ball was not thrown to him, nor did he engage in any contact, but on the run back to the huddle, he collapsed, Hengst said.

Cole's friends immediately called 9-1-1 and firefighters and police officers arrived at 2:04 while Cole remained on the ground unresponsive and without a pulse.

He was transported to LakeWest Hospital in Willoughby and was eventually pronounced dead.

"This was not a physical football game," Hengst said. "Tyler was not struck in any way and we don't believe it had anything to do with a collision injury."

An autopsy is not expected to be completed until later today, according to the Cuyahoga County Coroner's Office.

Tyler's father, Kenneth Cole, believes his son could have had a undetected heart condition.

"I have a heart problem," he said. "He never showed any problems, we've had him checked out with physicals, but I'm guessing that is what it is."

Tyler was very athletic, according to those who were close to him.

He started off playing Little League Baseball where he eventually won a state championship, his father said.

As a freshman at North he played both football and wrestled. This past summer, he made the decision to stop playing football and dedicate his career to wrestling.

"He was a very hard-working kid, very dedicated to sports and dedicated to whatever he was doing," Kenneth said.

Tyler had a glowing personality and was extremely well-liked by classmates, North High School Principal Jen Chauby said.

The school has grief counseling available to both teachers and students as well as Tyler's teammates and coaches, she said.

"Right now, it is very difficult," she said. "It is hard for everyone to understand, especially the younger people. When something like this happens it is hard to get a grip on it."

The support thus far has been overwhelming. Students at the school are in the planning stages of a possible vigil and Chauby said one father has already came forward with possibly opening up a memorial fund.

Nothing has been confirmed thus far, but Kenneth said he and his family appreciate the support.

"It means a heck of a lot," he said. "It is helping, but it is just going to be very hard to get through this."

Kenneth said he'd like his son to be remembered as a kind-hearted, hard-working individual who put his family ahead of himself, which for a teenager, is not often the case.

"His mother and I haven't been in very good health and he has spent the past couple of years making sure we were OK," he said. "He was a very selfless person."

"He was so concerned with us, I wish I had been more concerned about him."

This is the second time in the past 15 months where a North High School student has died.

On July 11, 2007, Jeffrey Neumann, 18, of Willowick, drowned at Headlands Beach State Park. Neumann played football at North.