Lee St. Hilaire, who shattered football records for Winthrop High School before going on to play in college, died Tuesday as the result of an apparent suicide.

The 21-year-old, who set school football and hockey records alike, died after he was treated for self-inflicted wounds suffered at his Bangor apartment, police said.

St. Hilaire lived with his girlfriend in Bangor while attending Husson College, according to a family member. He was starting quarterback for the newly formed Husson football team.

Details about the death were few Tuesday night. A Bangor police detective was investigating the case but was not available for comment.

In central Maine, where St. Hilaire was considered one of the all-time great high school athletes, news about his death spread quickly. Local sports fans attending high school basketball games learned about the suicide through friends and coaches.

“Lee was a pretty powerful figure in this community and in football in general,” said Norm Thombs, who watched St. Hilaire grow up and coached him in high school. “He was a great kid. We’re all devastated by this.”

During his high school career, St. Hilaire took the Winthrop football squad to three straight Western Class C championships and the gold-ball trophy in 2000. The Ramblers were undefeated that year.

Maine’s all-time leading passer, St. Hilaire was awarded the James J. Fitzpatrick trophy for high school football in the state. He was the first non-Class A player ever to win the trophy. He was also named the Sun Journal’s Player of the Year.

He finished his football career with a 63.1 percent passing completion percentage, which landed him at the number 11 spot in the nation. A local legend for his throwing arm, he amassed 8,259 passing yards during his four years on the high school team.

“People used to come to the football games to watch the team, but especially to watch Lee throw the ball,” said David St. Hilaire, Lee’s cousin and former hockey coach. “He just loved to have fun, whether it was practicing, playing or just throwing the ball around.”

St. Hilaire’s talent caught the eye of college football scouts. In 2002, he was awarded a scholarship to play Division I-AA football at the University of Maine. Midway through the season, St. Hilaire stunned many by leaving the team and the school. At the time, he explained he wanted to join the work force and be closer to his family.

St. Hilaire returned to Winthrop where he volunteered as an assistant football coach for the team he once starred with. Then last fall, he enrolled at Husson and started every game at quarterback.

David St. Hilaire said he last saw his cousin earlier this winter when Lee came home to play in an alumni hockey game. A multi-sport athlete, Lee St. Hilaire also held current records for scoring since playing hockey for Win-Dale. His record of 114 goals and 74 assists is far higher than the second place high scorer.

“He was just a natural athlete,” David St. Hilaire said.

When his football career took off, St. Hilaire often fought against the perceptions of others. Scrappy and determined, he endured turbulent teen years during which he moved from home to home. He was regarded as a street kid by some who didn’t see him as the stereotypical, high school jock.

In 2001, a year before he marched his team to a championship, St. Hilaire told a Sun Journal reporter: “I just want to prove I can do something with my life. Some people think I’m going to get out of high school and that’s going to be it – that I won’t go to college and I won’t have good grades. I just want to prove to them I can do it and I can succeed.”

Thombs, credited with coaching and guiding St. Hilaire at the start of his career, said coaches, former players and fans were getting together Tuesday night, talking about the loss of one of the town’s greatest athletes of all time.

“He was an amazing kid,” Thombs said. “I knew him since he was in the third-grade. It’s like losing a son.”

[email protected]