Tragic Loss of Southern Nazarene University Football Player

A Division II football player has unfortunately passed away five days after suffering a “traumatic injury” during a game. Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in Oklahoma, died from injuries he sustained, as announced by the school on Thursday.

Southern Nazarene, based in Bethany, Oklahoma, did not provide specific details regarding the cause of Ulrich’s passing, but it is known that he experienced a head injury last Saturday.

“It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our SNU football player, Tyler Ulrich,” SNU Athletics posted on their social media. The statement noted that “this loss is deeply felt across our campus.” They expressed their condolences, saying their hearts are with his family, friends, teammates, and all who knew him, and they invited others to join in prayer for the grieving family.

Dustin Hada, the head coach of the football team, also took to social media to express his sorrow. He described Ulrich as a “man of God” who exemplified “quiet strength,” while being a loyal worker with a joyful spirit.

Earlier in the day, Ulrich’s father, Mark, shared an emotional message on Facebook, stating that the family “truly need a miracle” as they hoped for his recovery. Sadly, he later posted an update with a heavy heart, revealing that his son had passed away that morning at 11:13 a.m. “Our family is truly blessed to receive all the love and prayers for our young Tyler and we are ever grateful,” he shared.

The game where Ulrich was injured was paused for approximately an hour while medical teams attended to him on the field before he was taken to a hospital.

Ulrich was entering his third season at SNU, where he had made a significant impact, starting 16 of his 20 games and recording 36 tackles this season. In light of his passing, SNU has decided to cancel their upcoming game against Southwestern Oklahoma State this Saturday.