Southern Nazarene Safety Tyler Ulrich Dies After Game Injury — SkimNews
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- Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore safety at Southern Nazarene University, died after a traumatic injury suffered during an Oct. 10 game at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia, Arkansas, following five days in the hospital.
- The Oct. 10 matchup at Ouachita Baptist was delayed nearly an hour while Ulrich received medical attention on the field before being transported to a hospital.
- Southern Nazarene University canceled its Saturday game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University following Ulrich's death.
- Ulrich ranked third on the team with 36 tackles, making him one of the Crimson Storm's top defensive contributors.
- Southern Nazarene president Keith Newman said Ulrich had been "continually surrounded by the love, prayers, and presence of his family, teammates, and dear friends" since being hospitalized.
- Head coach Dustin Hada posted a tribute on X calling Ulrich "a Man of God, ultimate example of quiet strength, loyal, worker, joyous."
- Ulrich's prep coach Jason Vines of Azle High School in Texas told KOCO News the player "looks like a professional football player" and was "one of the sweetest young men I've ever been around," and a GoFundMe has been created to assist the family.
Why it matters: Ulrich's death marks a devastating loss for a small Division II program and its broader campus community in Bethany, Oklahoma. The cancellation of Saturday's game against Southwestern Oklahoma State shows the tragedy rippling through the schedule, while the GoFundMe and outpouring of tributes from his college, his high school, and his coaches reflect a community rallying around a 21-year-old described by everyone who knew him as exceptional in character.
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