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Funeral Held For Slain W&J Football Player

BUTLER (KDKA) - Friends and family said goodbye Tuesday morning to a Washington & Jefferson College football player who was recently beaten to death.

It was a somber scene here as loved ones surround the casket carrying 21-year-old Timothy McNerney.

"Every person he came into contact with, he made them that much better. Everyone knew him because of his crazy laughs, his smile," DeAndre Simmons said.

"Timmy was not only our best player, but probably our most popular player on the team too," W&J Football Coach Mike Sirianni said.

McNerney was running back and captain for the W&J football team and will be missed both on and off the field.

Last Thursday, McNerney was killed not far from campus in Washington.

According to police, he was walking home from an off-campus bar shorty after 2 a.m., when he was approached by a group of men.

He was mugged, beaten and left for dead.

"Tim was my brother. He was our friend and we are going to miss him terribly and hopefully, those kids who did this to him, they'll be brought in. They'll get theirs," Simmons said.

While friends want answers, they also want to make sure the memory of McNerney live on forever.

Many shared stories on their way into the funeral.

"Our teammates and our football program will never forget Tim. Like I said, he was a captain, he was our best player, he was the most popular player and he was one of the best kids that I have ever coached," Sirianni said.

As far as the investigation goes, the Washington police chief said his officers have been working non –stop to follow every piece of information coming into the station.

So far, no arrests have been made.

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