UNLV offensive lineman Ben Christman was found dead earlier this month, and some new information has emerged about the tragic incident.
Christman, who had transferred to UNLV from Kentucky a month prior to his death, was found unresponsive at his off-campus apartment on Feb. 11. According to new documents that were obtained by TMZ, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police said a teammate called 911 to report that Christman was lying on his back, foaming at the mouth and had purple fingers.
The person who called 911 and another UNLV player were administering CPR when police arrived. It was determined that Christman had been dead for “a few hours.”
The two teammates who were at Christman’s apartment told police that they went to check on the 21-year-old after he missed practice. Another person told officers that Christman had experienced chest pains at practice the day before.
Christman reportedly underwent an EKG at UNLV on Feb. 10. A cardio doctor reviewed the results and determined that they “looked normal,” according to the police report.
One of Christman’s roommates also told police that Christman arrived home at around 3 p.m. on Feb. 10 and only issued a brief greeting before heading straight into his room. The roommate, who is also a UNLV player, said he did not see Christman for the rest of the day.
Police have said that no foul play is suspected in Christman’s death. Christman’s obituary stated that he died in his sleep of natural causes.
Christman was a four-star recruit out of Richfield, Ohio. He redshirted in 2021 and played in one game for the Buckeyes in 2022. He then transferred to Kentucky and missed 2023 due to an injury. Christman finally got his shot last season and played in all 12 games for the Wildcats before deciding to leave for UNLV.
Both Ohio State and Kentucky shared messages on social media following Christman’s death.
