DULUTH, Minn. — A tragic incident has struck the University of Minnesota Duluth, as senior defensive end Reed Ryan passed away unexpectedly at the age of 22 on Tuesday. The university did not disclose the cause of his death, but his obituary revealed that Ryan had suffered cardiac arrest while working out in the weight room on November 21, resulting from an undetected genetic heart condition.
According to reports, the training staff at Duluth immediately performed CPR and Ryan was then taken to St. Mary’s-Duluth for further care. Sadly, Ryan passed away one week after the incident at Essentia Health in Duluth.
Head coach Curt Wiese expressed his devastation at the loss, praising Ryan’s positive attitude, infectious smile, and genuine care for those around him. Wiese stated, “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.”
After spending three seasons at North Dakota State, Ryan joined Duluth in his first year. While there, he received the Missouri Valley Football Conference Commissioner’s Academic Excellence Award twice. In his one year with Duluth, Ryan achieved a career-high of eight tackles, with two of them resulting in a loss.
The athletics department at Duluth commended Ryan for his high character and the impact he had both on and off the field. Director of Athletics Forrest Karr remarked, “Reed was a kind, caring, and thoughtful young man who enjoyed bringing people together. He grew up in my hometown and was beloved by those who knew him in Waunakee, Fargo, Duluth, and beyond.”
Funeral services for Ryan will be held on Saturday in Middleton, Wisconsin.