Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore safety for Southern Nazarene University (SNU), died on Thursday, five days after sustaining a "traumatic injury" during a game. The incident occurred during a match against Ouachita Baptist.
The private Division II university in Bethany, Oklahoma, has not disclosed the cause of death or the specific nature of Ulrich’s injury. SNU Athletics posted on its X account, stating, "It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our SNU football player, Tyler Ulrich."
University President Keith Newman noted that Ulrich died in the hospital "surrounded by the love, prayers, and presence of his family, teammates and dear friends." Ulrich was in his third season at SNU and had accumulated 16 starts across 20 games.
Southern Nazarene University has cancelled its upcoming game scheduled for Saturday at Southwestern Oklahoma State.