Tyler Ulrich, a sophomore defensive back from Azle, Texas, at Southern Nazarene University in Bethany, died Thursday, Oct. 15, five days after sustaining what the university described as a traumatic injury during a football game. His father said he suffered a head injury.
Ulrich's father, Mark Ulrich, posted on social media that Tyler died at 11:13 a.m. Thursday. He said Tyler led a life full of faith, passion and ferocity on the football field, according to KFOR.
SNU President Keith Newman confirmed the death in a written statement, KOCO reported. Newman said Ulrich sustained a traumatic injury during the Crimson Storm's game at Ouachita Baptist in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, on Saturday, Oct. 10. Ulrich was taken to a hospital after being injured during the game.
Newman said Ulrich had been in the hospital since the injury, surrounded by family, teammates and friends.
Details about the injury or what caused it have not been released. An SNU play-by-play announcer told KOCO the situation turned serious quickly after Ulrich went down following a play. The announcer said he could not tell what caused the injury but called it one of the most horrifying scenes he had ever witnessed around a game.
The university also said a second student was injured during the same game in a separate incident but was expected to be OK, according to an earlier KOCO report.
SNU held a campus-wide prayer chapel on Tuesday, Oct. 13. Newman said students, faculty and staff gathered and anchored themselves in the words of Psalm 62. SNU's Renew Counseling Center and Campus Pastors remain available for students and staff processing the loss.
SNU's scheduled game against Southwestern Oklahoma State on Saturday, Oct. 17, has been canceled following Ulrich's death.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the Ulrich family. Funeral services are pending.
