What happened to Ty Jordan? Exploring late Utah RB's cause of death in 2020

Three years have passed since the tragic death of Utah football player Ty Jordan, who was shot accidentally. Jordan, the 2020 PAC-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year, had his life cut short on December 26, 2020, in Denton, Texas, near Dallas-Ft. Worth. He was only 19 when the unfortunate incident occurred.

During his breakout freshman season, Jordan made quite an impact by rushing for 597 yards and scoring six touchdowns. His performance earned him All-Pac-12 second-team honors, which led to him winning the 2020 Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year award. Jordan was the first Utah player in two decades to earn the conference title of Freshman of the Year.

What happened to Ty Jordan?

Utah football player the late Ty Jordan lost his life in an accidental shooting in Denton, Texas, at the age of 19. The incident unfolded when the Denton Police Department responded to a gunshot victim report in the 100 block of Avenue B.

Initially, the investigation suggested that Ty Jordan accidentally shot himself, resulting in a fatal single gunshot wound to the abdomen. The unfortunate incident happened in an apartment in Denton, where the initial call to the police came at 9:38 p.m. CT. Officers responding to the scene discovered that Jordan had accidentally shot himself in the hip.

The police officers immediately provided first aid but to no avail. The young Utah football player was later pronounced dead at the Denton Regional Medical Center around 10:46 p.m. CT.

The Denton Police Department has determined that the gun "was accidentally discharged by the victim." The college football world mourned the loss of Jordan, who had shown great promise in his first year, whose death came as a shock on Christmas Day in 2020.

At the time, the Utah Utes athletic director Mark Harlan had said,

"We are deeply saddened and shocked to learn of Ty Jordan’s passing early this morning, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who loved him dearly, including the young men in our football program. Our priority is supporting his family and the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our football program who are so deeply hurting right now."

The University of Utah football team continues to honor Jordan. They took the extraordinary step of retiring his #22 jersey, making it the first number in Utes history to be retired. Jordan's memory continues to live on in the hearts of football fans and the Utah community.