UMD football player Reed Ryan passed away Tuesday evening. He was known for being a good person.
The University of Minnesota Duluth announced that senior defensive lineman Reed Ryan passed away Tuesday in Duluth.
Ryan was 22 years old.
“He was a guy who lived every day with a smile on his face and wanted to be a good football player, a good student and a good teammate,” said UMD head football coach Curt Wiese. “His intention was to make everyone around him better off, and that’s exactly the kind of person he was. He was a kid who would always stop by your office, stop in the hallway, stop his teammates and actually ask, “How are you?”
Wiese said Ryan collapsed while working out in the weight room on Nov. 21.
He was immediately taken to Essentia Health, where he spent the week.
Unfortunately, Wiese said Ryan passed away around midnight Tuesday night.
“Our staff and players are devastated by Reed’s pass,” Kurt Wiese said. “Reed strived to get better every day at every task at hand. With his positive attitude, infectious smile and genuine care for those around him, he helped bring out the best in others. We were fortunate to have Reed on our team and he has made our program, our department and our community a better place in a short amount 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 all can be. Thank you to his family for allowing us to be part of his inspiring young life. Reed was a bulldog through and through.”
UMD football head coach Curt Wiese speaks about the death of UMD senior defensive lineman Reed Ryan.
Ryan was a Wisconsin native and a 2019 graduate of Waunakee High School.
He was honored with the 2018 Tim Krumrie Award, given to the most outstanding high school defensive back in Wisconsin, and was named the 2018 Wisconsin Football Coaches Association (WFCA) Large Schools Defensive Player of the Year.
UMD said Ryan recorded seven tackles and assisted on another last season, for a total of eight tackles.
“Reed had a positive influence on so many and we are deeply saddened by his passing,” said UMD athletics director Forrest Karr. “Reed was a kind, caring and considerate young man who enjoyed bringing people together. He grew up in my hometown and was loved by those who knew him in Waunakee, Fargo, Duluth and beyond. Our thoughts and prayers are with Reed’s family and friends during this time of grief. We are grateful to everyone who supports Reed’s teammates and our staff.”
Reed Ryan was a donor and made sure to help others even after his death.
“He was a really good teammate. And, you know, that’s what I think is difficult for us,” Wiese said. “To understand a tragedy like this on someone as young and healthy as Reed, but his impact will be exactly the type of person and teammate he was. And always staying true to who he was, you know, that’s something we’ll all remember Reed Ryan for.”
A memorial service for Ryan will be held on Friday evening, December 1st from 3:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Blackhawk Church, 5935 Astor Drive in Fitchburg, Wisconsin.
Ryan’s funeral will be held on Saturday, December 2nd with a wake at 10:00 a.m. followed by a service at 11:00 a.m. at Blackhawk Church.