DALLAS — An SMU alum and superfan who attended over 500 consecutive football games has died.
The SMU football team announced the passing of Paul Layne on Twitter Monday afternoon following a health battle.
"SMU lost one of its biggest fans today, as SMU alum, former cheerleader and superfan Paul Layne died following a brief illness," the team said. "Paul’s loyalty, support and commitment to SMU and our program will never be forgotten."
A page dedicated to providing updates on Layne said he "took a sudden turn late yesterday that inevitably ended in his passing today around 12:45 p.m."
"He was surrounded by family and passed peacefully," the statement on the page read.
Friends told WFAA last week that Layne, a realtor with Dave Perry-Miller, had attended every SMU football game since 1972 when he was a freshman there and a cheerleader.
His streak came to an end earlier this month after he was hospitalized and placed in the ICU amid a battle involving a serious blood clot. He missed SMU's season opener on Sept. 3.
Friends and fellow realtors decided to honor Layne by attending the Sept. 3 game against the North Texas Mean Green in his place.
They printed out photos of Layne, made shirts that read, "I am Paul Layne" and cheered on the Mustangs for their friend.
“It was our goal that he not miss so we gathered the troops and in his stead we attended,” friend and colleague Melissa O’Brien told WFAA last week.
The SMU Mustangs themselves also honored Layne during that game by wearing his initials "PL" on their helmets.