Coroner’s report shows Heintz died of natural causes
A Kent State helmet sits on the sideline adorned with a sticker for Tyler Heintz, a freshman lineman who passed away this summer during the team’s conditioning.
September 18, 2017
The cause of death for freshman Kent State football player, Tyler Heintz, has been ruled a natural death by the Portage County Coroner, Dean DePerro.
Heintz collapsed during one of the team’s practices on June 13, before being rushed to University Hospital’s Portage Medical Center, where he died later that morning.
Heintz, 19, was an incoming freshman from Kenton, Ohio, an offensive lineman.
The Kent Fire Department responded to Dix Stadium that Tuesday morning shortly after 9 a.m. Tyler was reportedly short of breath and in and out of consciousness, according to a 911 call made by Michelle Rura, an assistant athletic trainer.
DePerro has ruled the death as exertional heat stroke and said that it was a biological issue involving the regulation of his body temperature.
He also said the autopsy took four months because the coroner’s office was waiting for the results of the toxicology report, which came back negative.
Kentwired.com will continue to add updates as new information is released.
Henry Palattella is the sports editor. Contact him at [email protected].
