The 10-year-old son of former Georgia quarterback Corey Phillips died in a house fire on Friday.

Phillips and his wife were out of town, and the couple’s three children were staying with their grandmother in Cartersville, Ga, per 11Alive.com’s Paola Suro.

Three of them made it out after the house caught on fire around 3 a.m., while Walker Phillips did not. He was fourth grader at North Cobb Christian School.

“Walker is a leader in our classroom, especially among the boys,” Walker’s teacher, Julie Bare, wrote to 11Alive in an email.

“He’s just a great role model. A phenomenal athlete, he always makes sure that everyone is included during recess and P.E., regardless of their own abilities. He was always looking out for the underdog.”

Corey Phillips played quarterback at Georgia from 1998 to 2002, while his mother was a gymnast at the school. Phillips was the last walk-on to start at quarterback for the Bulldogs until Stetson Bennett.