SNU Athletics confirms death of football player Tyler Ulrich: what we know
Tyler Ulrich, an Azle, Texas, native, was in his third season at Southern Nazarene University and had 16 starts in 20 appearances
Published October 16, 2026
Southern Nazarene University sophomore safety Tyler Ulrich has died after a five-day battle with what the school described as a "traumatic injury".
Ulrich, 21, sustained a head injury during a game against Ouachita Baptist; his school confirmed his passing on Thursday, October 15, 2026.
The Division II private school based in Bethany, Oklahoma, however, didn’t disclose the cause of his death or the nature of Ulrich’s injury.
The school shared a post on X (formerly Twitter) and said, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our SNY football player, Tyler Ulrich.”
“This loss is deeply felt across our campus. Our hearts are with his family, friends, teammates, and everyone who knew him,” it added.
Ulrich suffered an injury during a 49-14 loss on Saturday, October 10, with the game delayed for nearly an hour while he received a medical emergency before being taken to a hospital.
Ulrich, an Azle, Texas, native, was in his third season at SNU and had 16 starts in 20 appearances, including six starts this year. He ranked third on the team with 36 tackles.
