The family of University of Utah football player Ty Jordan are holding each other close today after suffering an unspeakable tragedy on Christmas Day.

Denton, Texas police told The Salt Lake Tribune that the 19-year-old Texas native was the victim of an apparent accident, a self-inflicted gunshot wound, on Friday night.

Police responded to the call at 9:38 p.m. in the 1100 block of Avenue B in Denton. It was there that officers found Jordan, who was transported to Denton Regional Medical Center.

He was later pronounced dead.

The University of Utah confirmed Jordan's death on Saturday.

"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," Utah Utes head coach Kyle 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 made his mark on the 2020 college football landscape. He was named Pac-12 offensive freshman of the year and All-Pac-12 second team in 2020. He was also the first freshman in 25 years to have three straight 100-yard rushing games. He led the team in carries, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns, and all-purpose yards.

A graduate of West Mesquite High School in Mesquite, Texas, Jordan was named a co-district offensive player of the year as a senior and first-team all-district as a junior.

His high school talent didn't go unnoticed. Jordan received offers from major football programs including the University of Texas, the University of Southern California, and Oklahoma State University.


CHECK IT OUT: 100 sports records and the stories behind them

 

More From Classic Rock Q107