Utah is walking back Utes Ty Jordan has passed away, the school announced on Saturday.
Denton, Texas, police told ESPN that its agents responded to a shooting call at 10:38 p.m. ET on Friday. Officers discovered a victim who had been shot. After the measures to save his life were applied, the victim was transferred to a local hospital, where he was declared dead.
Rest in peace, # 22. Forever in our hearts.
We love you, Ty. pic.twitter.com/ZaXjWKg4Nc
– Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 26, 2020
“After a preliminary investigation, we believe it was an accidental shooting in which the victim accidentally shot himself,” Denton Police Department information officer Allison Beckwith told ESPN.
Police have not identified the victim.
On behalf of the entire University of Utah, our love and condolences to Ty Jordan’s family, friends, teammates and coaches. We are devastated by this heartbreaking news. Seeing Ty on the field was to rave about his athleticism and talent. Rest in peace, Ty, ”President Ruth V. Watkins of Utah said in a tweeted statement.
Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said the team is devastated.
“Ty’s personality and smile were contagious and he had a huge impact on our show in the short time he was with us,” Whittingham said in a statement Saturday. He leaves an indelible mark on us, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us at the Utah Soccer Family want to say that we love you, Ty, and that you can rest in peace. ”
Jordan, 19, a freshman from Mesquite, Texas, attended West Mesquite High and was named the Pac-12’s first offensive year of the year after rushing to 597 yards with six touchdowns on 83 carries in five games. He was named to the All-Pac-12 second team. He was fourth in the Pac-12 in rushing yards and third in rushing yards per game. Jordan was the first freshman from Utah to have three consecutive 100-yard rush games since 1995.
In November 2019, a photo of Jordan and an opponent from West Mesquite High went viral. After Sherman High’s 56-27 victory over Mesquite West High, Sherman Gage Smith asked Jordan if they could kneel and pray together. Smith had learned that Jordan’s mother, Tiffany, was battling stage 4 lung and bone cancer.
Dear mother, I love you so much, you have shown me how much of a warrior you are over the years. Watch over me and accompany me mama 💔💔 Rest in paradise A real soldier! pic.twitter.com/ESoWShaRS9
– Ty Jordan ✌🏾 (@_ylfotyt) August 14, 2020
Jordan’s aunt posted photos of the moment on Facebook. “It made me cry,” Tiffany Smith told Today.com at the time. (Smith) didn’t have to do that. The fact that he took the time to pray for me with Ty was breathtaking. ”
According to a tweet from Ty Jordan, Tiffany Jordan died in August. She was 43 years old.
“We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn that Ty Jordan passed away early this morning and our thoughts and prayers go out to those who loved him deeply, including the youth on our football program,” Utah AD Mark Harlan said in a statement on Saturday. . “Our priority is to support his family and the student athletes, coaches and staff of our football program who are currently suffering so much. Coach Whittingham and I work closely together to provide support and resources to our Utah football family in this extremely difficult situation. “