Spencer Hampton Loses Battle Against Cancer
June 29, 2012 | Football
June 29, 2012
GREENVILLE, N.C. - Spencer Hampton, a former East Carolina University football player whose determined rise from walk-on status culminated with a Sheraton Hawai'i Bowl victory in 2007 and a Conference USA title in 2008, died early Friday following a brief illness.
Hampton, 25, was diagnosed with stage four melanoma earlier this spring.
After enjoying a notable prep career at Greenville's D.H. Conley High School, Hampton completed walk-on tryouts and earned a roster position in then-head coach Skip Holtz' program during the fall of 2006. After redshirting during his initial season, he experienced action in four games a year later and was credited with tackles against West Virginia and UAB before closing out the campaign by helping the Pirates defeat Boise State at Aloha Stadium.
In 2008, Hampton appeared in contests against Memphis and UTEP, and perhaps contributed one of the more symbolic moments of ECU's drive to its first C-USA title. His interception of Miner quarterback Trevor Vittatoe's pass in the endzone on a fourth-and-three play as time expired closed out the regular season before the Pirates defeated Tulsa 27-24 a week later to capture its initial league championship.
Hampton is immediately survived by his wife, Lindsay Styons Hampton, parents Bob and Sara Hampton and sister Ashley Sarafino.
Service arrangements are pending and will be announced when finalized.
