BETHANY, Okla. — Southern Nazarene University announced Thursday the death of Crimson Storm safety Tyler Ulrich, a week after he left an away game on a stretcher, and scrubbed this weekend trip to Southwestern Oklahoma State.
Ulrich was 21. He went down Saturday in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, while Southern Nazarene fell 49-14 to Ouachita Baptist. Officials stopped play for close to an hour as trainers worked on him, then moved him to a hospital. The university has not said what caused his death or how the injury presented.
President Keith Newman said the sophomore died in the hospital with family, teammates and friends around him. Athletics staff asked students and staff to rally around his circle, and head coach Dustin Hada praised the quiet steadiness and work habits that defined him. A campus prayer chapel on Tuesday centered on his recovery and grief.
The Azle, Texas, product was a third-year Storm player and a finance major. He started 16 times in 20 appearances, including six starts this season, and sat third on the tackle chart with 36 stops.
Southwestern Oklahoma State Athletics sent condolences to Southern Nazarene football side and the wider campus after the cancellation.
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