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Mark Stoops was devastated to hear about the death of Ben Christman, one of his former offensive linemen, and the Kentucky head coach put out a statement on Wednesday to pay tribute to what Christman meant to the Wildcats program.
“We are all at a loss right now hearing about the passing of Ben Christman. He was a player who came in every day and went to work. He was tough as nails on the field but off the field he was a gentle and kind soul. He was loved by all of us and our prayers go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,” wrote Stoops on his social media account on Wednesday.
Christman spent 2 seasons at Kentucky before transferring to UNLV, which confirmed his passing on Wednesday. Before Christman arrived in Lexington, he spent the previous 2 seasons at Ohio State.
According to a statement from UNLV, Christman was found dead at his off-campus apartment on Tuesday morning. UNLV did not have any additional details about Christman’s passing, including the cause of death.
Christman transferred to UNLV so he could play for new head coach Dan Mullen, who is making his return to the coaching world after previously being the head coach at Florida and Mississippi State.
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
