Former Kentucky football offensive lineman Ben Christman died Tuesday in Las Vegas. He was 21.
Christman had transferred to UNLV this offseason. Mark Stoops, Kentucky's head coach, said in a statement, "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."
Christman transferred to Kentucky in 2023, but a knee injury forced him to miss the entire season. In 2024, he played in all 12 games for the Wildcats, mostly as a special teams player.
There has been an outpouring of support from his former teammates and coaches:
Coach Mark Stoops said in a statement on social media, "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."
Heart broken. I pray that God give his peace to his family and teammates. Great young man i’m going to miss him. https://t.co/GIPMIiIebw
— CoachMarrowUK (@vincemarrow) February 12, 2025
Love you brother💙. Gone too soon🤲🏾 prayers out to your family https://t.co/YyVKg6yD2k
— Re'Mahn Davis (@Ray_Davis07) February 12, 2025
Love you man , rest easy my boy 🙏🏾🕊️ https://t.co/6U6bpuvxY0
— J Ł Ø V Ê 🔮♠️🔮 (@Jordan_Lovett1) February 12, 2025
I ask every player to fill out a questionnaire when they arrive at @UKFootball and one of the questions is describe yourself in three words. Ben Christman said “solid, kind and determined.” He was all of those things and more. RIP, Ben. 💔 pic.twitter.com/kYhuacevwN
— Slax (@slax0) February 12, 2025
