The athlete was found deceased in his off-campus apartment on the morning of Feb. 11
NEED TO KNOW
- College football player Ben Christman’s cause of death has been revealed
- The news comes three months after he was found dead at age 21
- Christman reportedly died from cardiac arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy
College football player Ben Christman’s cause of death has been revealed almost three months after he was found dead at age 21.
Christman — a student and football player at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) — was discovered deceased in his off-campus apartment on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 11, PEOPLE previously reported.
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The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner has now released details regarding Christman’s cause of death, telling TMZ Sports that he died from cardiac arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy.
An arrhythmia is an abnormal heart rhythm, per the Cleveland Clinic, and cardiomyopathy refers to conditions that affect the heart muscle.
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Per a police report previously obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal, Christman had been complaining of chest pains during football practice the day before his death. An electrocardiogram (ECG) had been conducted on him at UNLV facilities. The team’s “cardio doctor” said the results appeared to be normal, per the outlet, citing the report.
The update comes after the UNLV athletics’ website confirmed Christman’s death in a Feb. 12th news release. “His family has been notified, and the athletic department has informed the team. Mental health and related support services are being offered to those in need,” the release stated at the time.
Christman was an offensive lineman who began his college career at Ohio State in 2021. While he redshirted that season, he played one game in 2022 before transferring to the University of Kentucky, the Associated Press reported.
According to Kentucky’s website, Christman was forced to miss the 2023 season due to a knee injury but played all 12 games on special teams in 2024. Per Yahoo Sports, Christman had chosen to transfer to UNLV in December.
University president Keith E. Whitfield previously shared in a statement that he was “incredibly saddened” to learn about Christman’s death.
“There is little that can be said to lessen the pain of suddenly losing a member of our university family at such a young age, and my heart breaks for all who knew and loved him,” he said. “On behalf of UNLV, our sincere condolences are with Ben’s family, friends, loved ones and teammates during this very difficult time.”
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UNLV head coach Dan Mullen was also among the many paying tribute to Christman, saying, “Our team’s heart is broken to hear of Ben’s passing.”
“Since the day Ben set foot on our campus a month ago, he made the Rebels a better program. Ben was an easy choice for our Leadership Committee as he had earned the immediate respect, admiration and friendship of all his teammates. Our prayers go out to his family and all who knew him. Ben made the world a better place and he will be missed,” Mullen added.
The Clark County Office of the Coroner/Medical Examiner didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for details on Christman’s cause of death. PEOPLE also reached out to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police for the previous police report, but didn’t immediately hear back.
