Utah HC Kyle Whittingham, AD Mark Harlan Issue Statements On Ty Jordan Passing

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Utah football freshman running back Ty Jordan has passed away at the age of 19 in Texas.

Officials of the Denton County Police Department said Jordan was accidentally shot by a gun discharge Friday evening. He was rushed to a local hospital but was pronounced dead shortly after arriving.

Earlier this week, Jordan was named Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year.

Utah head coach Kyle Whittingham released a statement on Saturday morning following the passing of Ty Jordan.

“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.”

Rest In Peace, #22. Forever in our hearts.

We love you, Ty. pic.twitter.com/ZaXjWKg4Nc

— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) December 26, 2020

Utah Athletic Director Mark Harlan released a statement on Saturday morning as well.

“We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Ty Jordan’s passing early this morning and our thoughts and prayers are with those who loved him dearly, including the young men in our football program. Our priority is on supporting his family and the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our football program who are so deeply hurting right now. Coach Whittingham and I are working closely to provide support and resources for our Utah Football family in this extremely difficult time.”

Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott released the following statement on Saturday morning.

“We share in the shock and sadness felt by our Utah community today upon learning of the passing of one of our family members, Ty Jordan. Our thoughts, prayers and deepest condolences are with his loved ones. The entire Pac-12 and college football family mourns this tremendous loss.”

Jordan’s passing comes following a remarkable season for the University of Utah. Jordan rushed for 597 yards and 6 touchdowns on 83 carries. He averaged 7.2 yards per carry. Despite his smaller frame, opposing defenders had no answer for the dynamic playmaker.

Trevor Allen is a Utah Utes Insider for KSLSports.com and host of the Crimson Corner podcast. Follow him on Twitter: @TrevorASports. You can download and listen to the podcast, here.