University Of Utah Lighting The ‘U’ In Honor Of Ty Jordan

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Utah lit the “U” on Saturday night in honor of the life of Utes running back Ty Jordan.

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.

Jordan was 19 years old.

Normally Utah will light the “U” when one of their athletic programs claims a victory during their season. In this case, they lit the “U” on the mountain near campus to honor Ty Jordan.

For Ty. #RIP22 pic.twitter.com/Jy6EtsLoYV

— University of Utah (@UUtah) December 27, 2020

The Utah football team honored Jordan with a photo of the young star running back on their giant jumbotron in the south end zone.

Head coach Kyle Whittingham released the following statement on Saturday after learning of Jordan’s passing.

“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.”

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

“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.