University of Minnesota Duluth set to honor late football player Reed Ryan with moment of silence… after he died following cardiac arrest in team gym

The University of Minnesota Duluth will honor late football player Reed Ryan this weekend with ribbons, decals, and a moment of silence.

Ryan, 22, died on Tuesday after suffering a cardiac arrest in the weight room exactly a week earlier.

‘It’s on the minds of every staff member and student-athlete right now,’ a UMD Athletics spokesperson told TMZ. ‘The tributes will be on going through their seasons.’ 

The UMD volleyball team wore ribbons with Ryan’s jersey number, 99, when they played against Wayne State College in the NCAA Division 2 Central Regional Tournament on Thursday.

The university’s hockey team may also wear decals with the number 99 when they play against Omaha on Friday and Saturday, per TMZ.

Reed – a 6ft 3in, 241-pound defensive end – was training in a weight room on November 21 when he suddenly went into a cardiac arrest

According to Ryan’s family, school officials began life-saving measures upon his collapse and successfully regained his pulse. Ryan was rushed to the ICU but sadly passed away seven days after the incident. 

Ryan’s family said that the emergency was caused by an ‘undetected genetic heart condition and a large, loving heart.’ The family also stated that Ryan was ‘doing what he loved’ when the cardiac arrest happened. 

‘Reed had a contagious smile and lived life to the fullest in his short years,’ Ryan’s family wrote. ‘Reed loved people, he could talk to anyone and prided himself on being surrounded by friends, family, mentors, and being part of a team.’ 

The defensive lineman played for four years at North Dakota State University on a full-ride scholarship before transferring to UMD. Ryan’s former school also released a statement to honor the former Bison. 

NDSU’s football team described Ryan as ‘the ultimate teammate, a constant source of joy, a genuine selfless spirit, and a beloved friend.’

‘We’ll miss you, Reed,’ the Bison wrote. ‘Your legacy will live on.’

Before transferring to UMD, Ryan played at the South Dakota State on a full-ride scholarship

As a redshirt senior at UMD, Ryan tallied eight tackles and a sack for the Bulldogs. 

‘You’ll never have a better person, & that’s what we got with Reed,’ UMD football coach Curt Wiese said on Wednesday. ‘Reed was with us in Duluth for a year, but his impact will be for a lifetime.’ 

‘Reed aspired to be better every day at whatever task was at hand,’ Wiese said of Ryan in a statement. ‘He helped bring out the best in others with his positive attitude, infectious smile, and genuine care for the people around him.’ 

Funeral services for Ryan will be held on Saturday in Middleton, Wisconsin.