Cause of death of UNLV football player revealed

In February, the UNLV Rebels football program and the college football world were shaken by the sudden passing of offensive lineman Ben Christman.

That fateful day, concerned teammates found Christman dead in his off-campus apartment after he missed practice. Another teammate reported that he had been going through chest pains the previous day and had undergone an EKG to find a problem. However, very few details were known about the tragedy when it happened.

On Thursday, however, the cause of Christman’s death was revealed.

A multitude of heart issues resulted in Christman’s passing.

According to the Clark County Coroner’s Office, Christman’s cause of death was a result of cardiac arrhythmia and cardiomyopathy.

In layman’s terms, cardiac arrhythmia is an irregular heartbeat, while cardiomyopathy is a disease that weakens the heart muscles.

Earlier, Christman’s obituary stated that he had passed away in his sleep due to natural causes.

A four-star recruit in the Class of 2021, Christman started his collegiate career at Ohio State. After transferring to Kentucky in 2023 and suffering an injury, Christman got his chance with the Wildcats in 2024, starting all 12 games that season. He was expected to earn a starting spot on UNLV’s offensive line this season.

“Our team’s heart is broken to hear of Ben’s passing,” UNLV head coach Dan Mullen said in a statement on Christman’s passing. “Since the day Ben set foot on our campus a month ago, he made the Rebels a better program. Ben was an easy choice for our Leadership Committee as he had earned the immediate respect, admiration and friendship of all his teammates… Our prayers go out to his family and all who knew him. Ben made the world a better place and he will be missed.”