A Division II football player has passed away five days after sustaining a “traumatic injury” during a game.

Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore who played at Southern Nazarene University (SNU) in Oklahoma, died on Thursday.

He was taken to the hospital during the team’s loss to Ouachita Baptist on Saturday.

“Earlier today, Tyler Ulrich, a beloved member of our SNU football team and student body, passed away,” SNU president Keith Newman said in the statement, according to the New York Post.

“Tyler sustained a traumatic injury during last Saturday’s football game. Since that time, he has been in the hospital, continually surrounded by the love, prayers, and presence of his family, teammates, and dear friends,” the statement continued.

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SNU’s game against Southwestern Oklahoma State University this upcoming Saturday has been canceled.

“Please keep Tyler’s family, teammates, coaches, and friends in your continued prayers during this unimaginably difficult time,” the statement added. “Our Renew Counseling Center and Campus Pastors are available for our campus community who need assistance to process this sorrow.”

According to KOCO News 5 ABC, a play-by-play announcer at the Oklahoma university said that Ulrich’s injury was one of the most horrifying things he had ever seen during a football game.

Ulrich’s father confirmed his son’s death in a Facebook post Thursday afternoon and clarified in an earlier post that he had suffered from a head injury.

“Our family is truly blessed to receive all the love and prayers for our young Tyler and we are ever grateful. But as much support and love that was given , it is with a heavy heart I am writing to say the Lord called Tyler this morning at 11:13am,” Mark Ulrich wrote on Facebook.

“Tyler will join many of our loved ones that have passed. Tyler led a life full of faith passion and being a BEAST on the football field!!! He will be remembered always,” he added.

Fox News shared further:

The game was delayed for nearly an hour on Saturday as Ulrich received medical attention on the field following a play where he suffered his injury. He was later transported to a hospital.

Ulrich was in his third season with SNU, where he started 16 of his 20 games with the program. He had six starts this season, tallying 36 tackles on the year.

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