Southern Nazarene is mourning the death of Tyler Ulrich, the safety who died five days after sustaining a traumatic injury during Saturday’s game against Ouachita Baptist. The Division II school in Bethany, Oklahoma said the loss is being felt across the campus as players, coaches and students come to terms with the news.
The injury came during Southern Nazarene’s 49-14 loss, and the game was delayed for nearly an hour while Ulrich received medical attention before he was transported to a hospital. Southern Nazarene later announced on Thursday that Ulrich had died, while the school did not disclose further details about the cause of death or the injury.
Southern Nazarene cancels Saturday’s game
In the immediate aftermath, Southern Nazarene canceled its game at Southwestern Oklahoma State, a move that reflects how deeply the program has been affected. The team, now 1-5, has been forced to shift its focus away from football and toward support for Ulrich’s family and teammates.
Southern Nazarene Athletics said, “It is with heavy hearts that we share the loss of our SNU football player, Tyler Ulrich.” It added that “This loss is deeply felt across our campus,” and asked people to keep his family, friends, teammates and everyone who knew him in their prayers.
Who Tyler Ulrich was
Ulrich was in his third season at Southern Nazarene and was from Azle, Texas. He had appeared in 20 games for the program, making 16 starts, and finished with 36 tackles. The school had already held a campuswide prayer chapel on Tuesday in his honor before confirming his death later in the week.
Coach Dustin Hada also paid tribute, describing Ulrich as a “Man of God” and praising his “quiet strength,” loyalty, work ethic and joy. In moments like this, the human side of college football takes over completely. Results, rankings and records fade quickly when a young player is lost, and the only thing that matters is the support surrounding his family and the Southern Nazarene community.
