Utah star running back Ty Jordan dies at 19

Ty Jordan was named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns in just five games for the Utah Utes.

Horrible news broke on Saturday afternoon as the University of Utah has confirmed the death of star Utes running back Ty Jordan. He was 19.

From ESPN:

The Denton Police Department in Texas told ESPN that its officers responded to a shooting call at 10:38 p.m. ET on Friday. Officers discovered a gunshot victim who had been shot one time. After applying life-saving measures, 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,” Denton Police Department public information officer Allison Beckwith told ESPN.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham released a statement:

“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. 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 named the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year after rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns in five games.