Dana Smith, the mother of junior defensive back Artie Burns, passed away early Tuesday morning.
According to the Miami Herald’s Susan Miller Degnan, the football team was told Smith suffered a heart attack Monday night and was rushed to a local hospital. Miami coaches gathered at the hospital, including former head coach Al Golden, to support Burns. For nearly a decade, Smith raised Burns and his two younger brothers without Burns’s father, Artie Tyrone Burns Sr., who began serving a 25-year prison sentence for drug trafficking in February of 2006.
Angela Means, the mother of quarterback Brad Kaaya, took to Twitter to share her condolences.
We had many plans for our Cane Moms Football group. She wanted us n the community using our power for good. #irreplaceableDana #LoveUsister
— Team Mom (@Kaayas_Mom) October 27, 2015
Burns, who also hurdles for the track and field team at Miami, is in the middle of a career-year with five interceptions, third-most in the nation and tops in the ACC. His status for Saturday’s game against No. 22 Duke is unknown at this time.
A GoFundMe effort, created by the University of Miami Athletics Department, was started to support Burns and his family. You can find the GoFundMe page here.