Former West Mesquite RB Ty Jordan, the Pac-12’s Offensive Freshman of the Year at Utah, dies Saturday morning - The Dallas Morning News

Editor’s note: This story has been updated since it was originally published.

Utah running back Ty Jordan, a former star at West Mesquite and the Pac-12′s Offensive Freshman of the Year, died early Saturday morning, university and team officials said.

Area authorities did not confirm the circumstances of Jordan’s death. A friend and former coach told The Dallas Morning News that Jordan, 19, was back in North Texas over the holidays.

Utah played in only five games this year in a conference-shortened schedule, but Jordan made the most of it, rushing for 597 yards and six touchdowns on 83 carries. Jordan was the first player in school history to win the Pac-12′s Offensive Freshman of the Year award. He also earned second-team all-conference honors.

“Words cannot express the devastation and heartache that our team is feeling right now upon learning of the tragic death of our teammate and brother, Ty Jordan,” Utah head football coach Kyle Whittingham said in a statement. “Ty’s personality and smile were infectious and he made a huge impact on our program in the short time he was with us. He leaves an indelible mark on each of us and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends. From the bottom of our hearts, all of us in the Utah Football Family want to say we love you Ty and may you rest in peace.”

Joey Moss, Jordan’s coach on True Buzz’s traveling 7on7 team, said he never saw Jordan in a bad mood. He said he always had that smile on his face and was always ready to go.

“He was always a loveable person to everyone he came across,” said Moss, who had planned to visit with Jordan on Sunday. “He just brought that energy and that excitement. He was an off the wall type of kid. He loved to do flips, and do stuff like that, and smile and dance. As a person he never had an negativity around him.”

Jordan’s head coach at West Mesquite, Jeff Neill, told The News in a text message: “We are all so saddened at the news this morning. His smile was infectious and his spirit shined bright on everyone that knew him. We all loved Ty.”

Jordan starred on the field and on the track at West Mesquite. He had 13 games with at least 100 yards rushing, finishing his career with 2,589 rushing yards and 35 total touchdowns. He was also named Co-District 7-5A Offensive Player of the Year as a senior.

“One thing I always told him -- and it was one of my biggest things I wanted him to understand -- was to never let your height be an obstacle for you,” Moss remembers telling Jordan, who stood 5-foot-7. “The kid was electric fast, so I told him, ‘We’re going to outrun every critic. Every skepticism about you, we’re going to outrun it.”

That electric speed, and the ability to outrun defenders, is what made Jordan a highly touted recruit.

The three-star prospect was the No. 8 all-purpose running back prospect in the country, according to 247Sports, and he was the No. 20 overall player in the SportsDayHSTop 100. He originally committed to Texas, but ultimately decided to head west for Utah.

Jordan also made headlines off the field. During his senior season a photo of him and Sherman defensive back Gage Smith drew national attention. Smith, a teammate of Jordan’s on True Buzz’s 7on7 team, prayed with Jordan after West Mesquite beat Sherman 56-27.

At the time, Jordan’s mother, Tiffany, had stage 4 lung and bone cancer.

“It was meant for just me and him to have a moment and to pray over his family and for his mom,” Smith told NBC TODAY. “I just wanted to let him know there are other people thinking about him and his family, and let him know he has somebody to turn to.”

The photos — and the outpouring of support that followed — eventually made their way back to Jordan’s mother.

“I was speechless," Tiffany Jordan told NBC TODAY. “It made me cry. (Smith) didn’t have to do that. The fact that he took the time to pray with Ty for me, that took my breath away.”

Jordan reported in August that his mother had died.

This past season looked like the start of a promising college football career for Jordan. Before him, only one other player at Utah had won an annual conference award. That was Buffalo Bills running back Zack Moss, who was named the conference’s offensive player of the year last year.

Joey Moss said he was confident Jordan had the potential to be an immediate impact player at Utah. He’s known it for a while.

Moss still remembers the first time he met Jordan and his mother at a Denny’s. Jordan, a 10th grader at the time, had a Grand Slam and five to six cups of root beer, Moss recalled.

“This was before he became the four-star athlete we would know as a senior [in high school],” Moss said. “This was a guy nobody really knew, and nobody really paid attention to, but we knew he was going to be special because we caught glimpses of it in camp.”

What Jordan did in his first five games at Utah was also only a glimpse of his potential, Moss said. He praised Jordan’s commitment to the game and to getting better. He also said Jordan had an ability as a pass catcher that the nation hadn’t seen yet.

“He was going to be one of the most lethal all-purpose backs in the country for the next three years,” Moss said. “I guarantee that.”

But Jordan’s gone, and it’s a reality Moss and many others are still taking in. Moss heard the news early Saturday morning. He said he talked to a lot of former teammates and players that knew Jordan about what happened. He said there were a lot of tears, something he said exemplified the impact Jordan had on people here in the Dallas area.

Moss also said he and Jordan talked once a week. Most recently, they talked on Christmas Eve. They were going to workout together on Sunday.

“When you talk to someone on a regular basis, you don’t tell them you love them.,” Moss said. “You don’t tell them, ‘Good talking to you, be safe,’ you kind of just say ... I’ll catch you later.

“You don’t expect this kind of news.”

There was an outpour of condolences on social media, including one from Utah Jazz All-Star Donovan Mitchell.

Man this is so wild!!! I didn’t know him but I did know He had an amazing season as a freshman!! And was going to be an amazing talent Rest In Peace Ty Jordan man! This is crazy!! 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾 https://t.co/t5T9wopaOb

— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) December 26, 2020

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