Utah Jazz Hold Moment Of Silence For Utes RB Ty Jordan

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Utah Jazz held a moment of silence to honor the life of Utes running back Ty Jordan.

The star freshman running back passed away at the age of 19. 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.

The Jazz held the moment of silence before the player introductions ahead of their home opener against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, December 26.

The @UtahJazz held a moment of silence for ⁦@Utah_Football⁩ star freshman Ty Jordan. pic.twitter.com/X6EsjBldSP

— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) December 27, 2020

The University of Utah and their football program honored the life of Ty Jordan by lighting the “U” on the mountain near campus and they also displayed a photo of the freshman on their giant jumbotron in the south end zone of Rice-Eccles Stadium.

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.