Christopher Higgins (COL ’08), a former high school football star who came from a Georgetown family, was pronounced dead early Saturday morning at Georgetown University Hospital. Higgins, of Ho Ho Kus, N.J., was 23 years old.

His father James (GSB ’70) and sister Erin (COL ’99) both attended Georgetown. James Higgins sits on the university’s board of directors.

Higgins was a reserve linebacker on the Georgetown football team from 2004-2006. He was a member of the class of 2008 but did not graduate earlier this month, according to a university spokesperson. He played his prep football at Bergen Catholic, where he was a team co-captain and an all-Catholic League linebacker.

“We are deeply saddened by this sudden news and are working to respond to the needs of Christopher’s family and friends during this time,” Todd Olson, vice president for student affairs, wrote in an e-mail Sunday.

A wake is planned for Tuesday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Van Emburgh Funeral Home, and the funeral Mass will be on Wednesday at 10 a.m. at St. Gabriel’s in Saddle River, N.J.