ESPN reporter Edward Aschoff, 34, dies on his Christmas Eve birthday after battling pneumonia

ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff died Tuesday on his 34th birthday, the company announced.

Aschoff posted on his Instagram account on December 2 that he contracted pneumonia while covering the Michigan-Ohio State game on November 30.

Aschoff and his fiancee, Katy Berteau, were due to be married in April in New Orleans.

He posted December 4 on Instagram, with a photo of Berteau, ‘Having pneumonia is pretty terrible. Like the absolute worst. But it helps having this sweet angel taking care of you even when she’s risking getting this soul-crushing illness herself. All the soup, tea and delicious meals have kept me from crawling into a corner and crying the days away. Love you, babe. Thanks for putting up with my 5 am coughing fits’.

Aschoff was based in Los Angeles the past three years while covering college football for ESPN on multiple platforms. He had been with the company since in 2011, starting as a reporter out of Atlanta focusing on the Southeastern Conference.

Aschoff and his fiancee, Katy Berteau, (pictured above) were due to be married in April in New Orleans

‘Ed was one of the smartest, brightest reporters I’ve ever had the pleasure of working with,’ ESPN executive editor Lauren Reynolds said. 

‘Watching him grow from our co-SEC reporter with Chris Low to a multi-platform national reporter was a treat. For as good of a reporter Ed was, he was an even better person. He always put people first – those whose stories he told, and those who had the honor of working alongside him.

Aschoff was based in Los Angeles the past three years while covering college football for ESPN on multiple platforms. He had been with the company since in 2011, starting as a reporter out of Atlanta focusing on the Southeastern Conference

‘The outpouring of love and support from those whose lives he touched has been overwhelming, and is a testament to the light he brought to this world.’

ESPN senior vice president Rob King tweeted, ‘Our friend Ed Aschoff, lovingly remembered by so many on this heartbreaking day, was a ray of light. He smiled with his entire being, loved his fiancee and family, and brought joy to the job. I hope you knew him, too.’