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A football player at Southern Nazarene University died after getting critically injured during a game last weekend, university officials announced Thursday.
Tyler Ulrich, a sophomore defensive back at SNU, eventually succumbed to his injuries after being taken to the hospital during the Crimson Storm’s loss to Ouachita Baptist on Saturday.
“Earlier today, Tyler Ulrich, a beloved member of our SNU football team and student body, passed away,” SNU president Keith Newman said in the statement. “Tyler sustained a traumatic injury during last Saturday’s football game. Since that time, he has been in the hospital, continually surrounded by the love, prayers, and presence of his family, teammates, and dear friends.”
SNU’s game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University this upcoming Saturday has been canceled.
“Please keep Tyler’s family, teammates, coaches, and friends in your continued prayers during this unimaginably difficult time,” the statement added. “Our Renew Counseling Center and Campus Pastors are available for our campus community who need assistance to process this sorrow.”
According to KOCO News 5 ABC, a play-by-play announcer at the Oklahoma university said that Ulrich’s injury was one of the most horrifying things he had ever seen during a football game.
Ulrich’s father confirmed his son’s death in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon and clarified in an earlier post that he had suffered from a head injury.
“Our family is truly blessed to receive all the love and prayers for our young Tyler, and we are ever grateful,” Mark Ulrich wrote on Facebook. “But as much support and love that was given, it is with a heavy heart I am writing to say the Lord called Tyler this morning at 11:13am.
“Tyler will join many of our loved ones that have passed. Tyler led a life full of faith passion and being a BEAST on the football field!!! He will be remembered always.”
The coaching staff at SNU also took to social media and posted tributes to Ulrich, with head coach Dustin Hada writing, “Man of God, ultimate example of quiet strength, loyal, worker, joyous. That’s who Tyler was!!” in an X post.
Ex-SNU assistant coach Josh Stansell said that Ulrich could be defined in one word — a warrior.
“No other way to describe the young man,” Stansell wrote on X. “A rare breed. Up for every task, always putting his teammates before self. The 1 thing Tyler loved more than his teammates, was his faith in Jesus Christ.
“He ran his race and is home with our Lord in Heaven.”