Ben Christman, a student and football player at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, has died. He was 21.
According to a news release shared on the UNLV athletics’ website, Christman was found dead in his off-campus apartment on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 11.
The news release notes that his family has been notified and that the athletic department informed the team.
While the program said that mental health and related support services were being offered to those in need, they advised that they don’t have further details about his death at this time and that the Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner would later release his cause of death.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner shared with PEOPLE on Wednesday, Feb. 12 that a cause and manner of death for Ben Christman is still pending and “will likely take up to a few months.”
University president Keith E. Whitfield shared in a statement that he was “incredibly saddened” to learn about Christman’s death.
“There is little that can be said to lessen the pain of suddenly losing a member of our university family at such a young age, and my heart breaks for all who knew and loved him,” his statement read. “On behalf of UNLV, our sincere condolences are with Ben’s family, friends, loved ones and teammates during this very difficult time.”
Christman was an offensive lineman who began his college career at Ohio State in 2021. While he redshirted that season, he played one game in 2022 before transferring to the University of Kentucky, the Associated Press reported.
According to Kentucky’s website, Christman was forced to miss the 2023 season due to a knee injury but played all 12 games on special teams in 2024.
Ohio State Football expressed their condolences on X, as did Kentucky head football coach Mark Stoops.
“He was a player who came in every day and went to work. He was tough as nails on the field but off the field he was a gentle and kind soul. He was loved by all of us and our prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” Stoops said on X.
According to Yahoo Sports, Christman had chosen to transfer to UNLV in December.
“Since the day Ben set foot on our campus a month ago, he made the Rebels a better program. Ben was an easy choice for our Leadership Committee as he had earned the immediate respect, admiration and friendship of all his teammates,” said UNLV head coach Dan Mullen.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
UNLV Director of Athletics Erick Harper echoed the sentiments, sharing in a statement that Christman “had already made a meaningful impact on his teammates and coaches.”
Read the full article here