From staff reports.

View the Mobile Alpha version of this page.

East Carolina football coach Ruffin McNeill recalled Derek Blacknall as "a really good, special player, but a better young man to be around" in the wake of the alleged murder of the former Pirate defensive back.

McNeill made the remarks on the ECU campus Tuesday after word came that Blacknall, 24, had died after being stabbed in a domestic dispute Monday night in Greensboro.

The Greensboro News & Record reported that Blacknall's older brother, Darren, was being held in the Guilford County Jail without bond after being charged with first-degree murder. The two shared a home, according to the report.

"It's tough news to find out what happened," said McNeill. "He was not just a joy to be around as a player, but as a person."

Blacknall "always had a great smile on his face," added McNeill. "He was a guy that grew up with adversity around him. He was a guy that came to school and being here was a blessing for him.

"It was a big loss for the Pirate family. ... It was a big loss for us."

Derek Blacknall was a four-year letterman for the Pirates from 2008 to 2011, a span that included Conference USA championship seasons in 2008 and 2009.

� Play audio clip of McNeill's remarks

� View ECU Media Relations release