University of Minnesota Duluth Football Player Reed Ryan Dies at Age 22

Reed Ryan, a senior defensive lineman for Division II school Minnesota Duluth, died on Tuesday after suffering cardiac arrest, per Christa Lawler of the Star Tribune. He was 22.

His family wrote in an obituary that he "went into cardiac arrest on Nov. 21 following a football team workout in the weight room" that was the "result of an undetected genetic heart condition."

The family said the school's athletic staff administered CPR to recover his pulse and he was taken to the ICU at the St. Mary's-Duluth medical center.

UMD head coach Curt Wiese released the following statement:

"Our staff and players are devastated about Reed's passing. Reed aspired to be better every day at whatever task was at hand. He helped bring out the best in others with his positive attitude, infectious smile, and genuine care for the people around him. We were fortunate to have Reed on our team, and he made our program, our department, and our community a better place in a short period of time. Reed will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on forever. He was the epitome of a UMD Bulldog, and what we can all aspire to be. To his family, thank you for allowing us to be part of his inspiring young life. Reed was a Bulldog through and through."

He had eight tackles and a sack for Minnesota Duluth in the 2023 season.

Ryan spent four years at North Dakota State before transferring to the Bulldogs, winning two FCS titles with the Bison. He was a four-time Missouri Valley Football Conference honor roll member and three-time recipient of the Commissioner's Academic Excellence Award during his time at North Dakota State.

"Our team had a bunch of heavy hearts yesterday," North Dakota State head coach Matt Entz told reporters. "Bison nation is thinking of [his family]."