Chris Jacquemain, a former star quarterback for the Mentor Cardinals, died Nov. 30 in his home on Meadowbrook Lane.

According to Lake County Coroner Dr. Lynn Smith, he died of an accidental heroin overdose.

"Three years ago, Chris was on top of the world," said his father, Scott Jacquemain. "He had everything going for him."

Chris had a full scholarship to University of Akron and was starting quarterback for the Zips.

Tragically, an addiction to opiates squelched his tremendous potential and took everything away from him.

Now, members of Jacquemain's family are telling his story in hopes that others can avoid the mistakes he made and the struggle that ultimately killed him.

'We thought he had kicked it'

Chris Jacquemain was supposed to try out for the Cleveland Gladiators the Sunday after he had passed away, Scott Jacquemain said.

"He was really looking forward to possibly resurrecting his football career," his father said.

To that end, he was preparing for the tryout by working out at Mentor High. He also consulted with his former quarterback coach and later his offensive coordinator at Akron, Joe Moorhead.

"He asked me if he had a chance," Moorhead said. "I told him that it was a good opportunity for him."

Moorhead said Jacquemain -- with his sound mechanics and pistol-quick release -- was well-suited for the arena league.

Moorhead also talked with Jacquemain's high school coach, Steve Trivisonno, who told him that Jacquemain looked the best he had in awhile.

Chris Jacquemain had struggled with opiate addiction since 2009, his family said. He went to rehab twice and was attending Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings before he died, Scott Jacquemain said.

"This last time, we thought he had kicked it," Scott Jacquemain said.

Sadly, Chris Jacquemain never got his shot at redemption. Instead, he died at 25, leaving behind a fiancee, his parents, grandparents, a brother and innumerable friends and teammates.

'Imagine the worst flu you've ever had and multiply it 10 times'

Chris Jacquemain never told his father how he got involved with opiates. But he told other people who, in turn, told Scott that it began when he hurt his shoulder during his sophomore year of college and started taking prescription painkillers.

Chris still went on to have a successful junior season statistically for the Zips. He also made the Dean's List.

However, his college career was cut short when he was suspended and then cut from the team in 2009.

Akron never specified why he was cut, saying only that he had violated the team's wellness policies. He stayed at the school on a scholarship to study sports management but never graduated.

"He only continued school for a short period of time," Scott Jacquemain said. "He really struggled with being removed from the football team. It messed with his psyche."

Jacquemain returned to Mentor and his struggle with opiates became worse.

"After he dropped out of school, he lived at home," Scott Jacquemain said."He would walk through the door and I could tell he was sky-high. He'd be overly happy. I could tell it wasn't him. He'd say, 'I'm just in a good mood. Can't I be in a good mood?'"

With the support of his family, Chris Jacquemain tried to get clean. He first went to rehab for three weeks in 2009 at Glenbeigh.

"He'd straighten up for 30 to 60 days. Then he'd fall off again," Scott Jacquemain said. "He described it as a horrible feeling when you don't have it. 'Imagine the worst flu you've ever had and multiply it by 10 times.'"

'It's a downward spiral and there's only two endings'

In Jan. 2011, Chris Jacquemain got in trouble for stealing to feed his addiction. He would take money, jewelry and credit cards from his family and friends. Scott Jacquemain estimated that his son stole more than $20,000 worth of valuables to pay for drugs.

Jeanine Jacquemain, Chris's grandmother, said the addiction changed her grandson. He was no longer the sweet, polite child who would surprise her with flower bouquets -- at least not all the time.

"They have a craving for that stuff and they don't care how they get it," she said.

Chris Jacquemain segued from painkillers to heroin because it was less expensive.

"Once you start it, it's so hard to fight it," Jeanine Jacquemain said. "It's a downward spiral and there's only two endings -- you're in jail or you die."

First, Chris Jacquemain went to jail. He was arrested in January on a theft charge. Then, he had his bond revoked in March when he tested positive for drugs and was sentenced to 60 days in Lake County Jail.

It was during this stint in jail that Scott Jacquemain thought his son kicked his addiction, but that was not the case.

'The most horrible thing in the world'

Paramedics were called to Chris Jacquemain's home at 3:06 p.m. on Nov. 30, but he was dead when they arrived, Mentor Fire Lt. Ron Zak said.

The authorities called Cindy Jacquemain, Chris's mother, and asked her to identify the body.

"I looked at Christopher. He was on the ground and he had blood coming out of everywhere," Cindy Jacquemain said, sobbing. "And it was the most horrible thing in the world. Because Chris was tough, he was tough... and I'll never forget that moment my whole life.

"Nobody knew him. My God, he was so strong, so beautiful and handsome. He wasn't the person I saw laying there."

Jeanine Jacquemain said her grandson was so much more than a person who died from drugs.

"A lot of people are going to judge him and say he was this or he was that," she said. "They didn't know the real him. They just know how he died."

According to his family, the real Chris was someone whose smile filled a room and who hated to speak ill of anyone.

"He was a real fun-loving kid from a young age," Scott Jacquemain said. "He always had a smile on his face."

Chris Jacquemain couldn't spend Thanksgving with his mom this year. Instead, he spent it with his fiancee's family. As an apology, he surprised Cindy Jacquemain with flowers the day before.

"He was a sweetheart," Cindy said of her son. "He liked everyone and I loved him."

'If it can help just one person'

Fourteen people have died from heroin overdoses in Lake County this year, according to the coroner's office.

Another 18 people have died because of oxycodone, hydrocodone and other presciption painkillers. That means a total of 32 people lost their lives to opiates in Lake County this year.

Chris Jacquemain's family is telling his story in hopes that it will save other people from the fate he suffered.

"The danger of this drug addiction -- the total devastation, the havoc it wreaks on someone's life -- it takes such a toll, not just on the user but the family," Scott Jacquemain said. "It just put us through the ringer these last two years.

"If it can help just one person who might be on the edge -- if it helps them get off -- then it's worth it."

When asked to describe her grandson, Jeanine Jacquemain listed positive attributes: polite, nice, smart, handsome, athletic.

"Up until those last two years, he was a great kid," she said. He was the love of my life."

"He had everything going," she continued. "God gave him everything. It's such a shame. It's such a waste."