Southern Nazarene football player Tyler Ulrich dies from head injury

Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore at Southern Nazarene University, died on Thursday from a traumatic head injury sustained during a Division II football game on Saturday. The school in Bethany, Oklahoma, announced the death but did not specify the exact cause of death. Ulrich suffered the injury on the field during a play, which delayed the game for nearly an hour while medical staff attended to him. He was subsequently transported to a hospital where he remained in critical condition until his death.

Southern Nazarene Athletics posted a statement on its X account confirming the loss. The message stated that the campus community deeply felt the tragedy and asked for prayers for Ulrich's family, friends, and teammates. Dustin Hada, the head football coach, also paid tribute to Ulrich on social media, describing him as a man of God and an example of quiet strength and loyalty. Hada characterized Ulrich as a worker and a joyous person.

Ulrich's father, Mark Ulrich, shared updates on Facebook as his son fought for his life. Earlier on Thursday, Mark Ulrich posted that the family needed a miracle. Later that afternoon, he confirmed that Tyler Ulrich died at 11:13 a.m. The father expressed gratitude for the support and love received by the family while announcing the death.

Ulrich was in his third season with Southern Nazarene. He had started 16 of his 20 games with the program. In the current season, he recorded six starts and 36 tackles. As a result of Ulrich's death, Southern Nazarene canceled its scheduled game against Southwestern Oklahoma State this Saturday. The Associated Press contributed to this report.