Utah announced on Saturday that running back Ty Jordan has died. He is named AP Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year.
Ty Jordan Impressive Year For Utah
ESPN reported on Saturday that the Denton Police Department in Texas revealed that its officers responded to a shooting call at 10:38 p.m. ET on Friday.
The report went on to say that the police officers discovered a gunshot victim at the time. Life-saving measures were applied before the victim was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.
“Following a preliminary investigation, we do believe that this was an accidental shooting, where the victim accidentally shot himself,” the Denton Police Department public information officer Allison Beckwith was quoted as telling ESPN.
Utah Makes Statement
Although the officers did not identify the victim, Utah coach Kyle Whittingham said the team is devastated to hear the news.
“Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan,” Whittingham said in a statement.
“Ty’s personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us. He leaves an indelible mark on each of us and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends.
“From the bottom of our hearts, all of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace.”
Jordan was only recently named the 2020 AP Pac-12 Newcomer of the Year with the Utes landing five selections on the AP All-Pac-12 list.
The freshman running back led Utah in carries with 83, rushing yards with 597, rushing yards per game (119.4), rushing yards per carry (7.2), touchdowns (6) and all-purpose yards (723) this season.
Utah Director of Athletics Mark Harlan added: “We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Ty Jordan’s passing early this morning and our thoughts and prayers are with those who loved him dearly, including the young men in our football program.
“Our priority is on supporting his family and the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our football program who are so deeply hurting right now. Coach Whittingham and I are working closely to provide support and resources for our Utah Football family in this extremely difficult time.”
