In the world of CEFL football, many players come and many players leave the teams each year — such is the nature of a, by the most part, amateur sport. But the Budapest Wolves suffered the worst kind of loss, that won’t be forgotten any time soon, when their running back István Demeter suddenly passed away on January the 13th, at only 22 years of age.

„We have lost a player, but what is more important we have lost a friend. His unending cheerfulness, the smile on the corner of his mouth is what we will miss the most. We will cherish you in our hearts. Rest in peace“, the team posted on its website, wolves.hu, yesterday.

Though not as well known as his backfield teammate Péter Cseperkáló, Demeter made a big impact on the North conference’s best team and the whole league in 2007, ranking third in the league in rushing yards among all players for the season. Unfortunately, he would never take part in the bowl game that year, as he was injured in the semifinals against Novi Sad.

Sadly, that will remain to be the last game he played in the league, as he missed the whole of last year because of injury.

“István was great to be around both as a player and as a person. István went through knee surgery last year and he was working on his rehabilitation the past season. He set an example for us to follow with his dedication and mental toughness“, the team also said.

On the field, his best came in the spring of 2007 — he ran for over 100 yards against the Novi Sad Dukes in the regular season, and early that year his game winning touchdown ended the Vienna Vikings II 24-game winning streak, giving the Wolves a memorable victory.

He would’ve been 23 next month.