UNLV football player died because of heart conditions, coroner rules
UNLV offensive lineman Ben Christman — who was found dead at his off-campus residence in February — died of natural causes from heart conditions, the Clark County Coroner’s Office ruled Thursday.
Christman’s cause of death was attributed to cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat) and cardiomyopathy (heart disease), the coroner confirmed.
Christman was preparing for his first season at UNLV after transferring from Kentucky. The Akron, Ohio, native died a day before his 22nd birthday.
“We continue to mourn the tragic loss of a student, teammate and wonderful young man, and the Christman family remains in our thoughts,” the UNLV athletic department said in a statement on the coroner’s report.
Christman was found dead in his home near East Gabriel Drive at about 10 a.m. Feb. 11, a day after he reported feeling chest pains, according to a Metropolitan Police report. Arriving officers found two teammates who said they went to check on the 6-foot-6-inch, 325-pound lineman because he did not show up to practice.
Those players told police they entered through a back door and subsequently found Christman lying “face up on his bed motionless with what appeared to be foam coming out of his mouth and his face and hands purple,” the report stated.
The players attempted to perform CPR, but the report noted Christman had likely died hours before they made contact with him.
A UNLV coach later told officers that Christman had complained of chest pains during practice a day earlier, leading to a coach to conduct an electrocardiogram on Christman at a UNLV facility. Those scans were later sent to a team doctor, who stated they looked normal, the report said.
Christman began his collegiate career at Ohio State. He then played two seasons at Kentucky before transferring to UNLV.
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