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Azle community mourns former Hornet Tyler Ulrich, 21, after football injury
Tyler Ulrich, an Azle High School graduate and Southern Nazarene University football player, has died after suffering a traumatic head injury in a game in Arkansas. His former coach remembered him as a selfless teammate who continued supporting younger players in Azle.
Tyler Ulrich, a 21-year-old sophomore football player at Southern Nazarene University, has died after suffering a traumatic head injury during a game in Arkansas last Saturday, the university’s president announced. Ulrich remained hospitalized for nearly a week, surrounded by family, teammates and friends, according to the president’s statement.
Ulrich graduated from Azle High School, where longtime football coach Jason Vines remembered him as a talented athlete, a leader and an unusually supportive teammate.
Vines said Ulrich returned to Hornet Stadium over the summer to help younger players, maintaining ties to the Azle community after moving on to college football in Oklahoma.
The coach described an outpouring of support for Ulrich from Azle and beyond as he was hospitalized. A verified GoFundMe fundraiser described him as a young man with a future full of possibilities and a strong connection to his faith.
Ulrich’s death has left former teammates and community members mourning a player Vines said embodied the kind of teammate a coach hopes to have.