UNLV Lineman Ryan Keeler Was Suffering From Illness, Nausea Prior to Death

UNLV Rebels Football was hit by tragic news on Feb. 20 when junior defensive lineman Ryan Keeler died of an unknown cause.

New details regarding the 20-year-old's death emerged from a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police report obtained by TMZ Sports on Tuesday.

READ: UNLV DEFENSIVE LINEMAN RYAN KEELER DEAD

The new documents shared an account by one of Keeler's teammates, who saw the lineman the day before he passed.

According to the player's testimony, Keeler had been battling nausea and an illness in the week leading up to his passing.

Keeler was discovered dead when UNLV assistant coach Julio Garcia performed a welfare check. Garcia said that Keeler was in his bed and without a pulse, with an empty bottle of prescription drugs found bedside.

No cause of death has been determined.

The police report added that Keeler had met with a man under the title of "director of sports medicine" twice in the week leading up to his death and gave the player prescription medicine. Keeler met with the man on Feb. 16 and Feb. 19.

In his first season for the Rebels, having transferred from Rutgers, the sophomore tallied one sack and eight tackles in seven games.

Keeler was lauded for his work ethic and boasting a 3.8 grade point average in pre-business.

First-year Rebels coach Barry Odom released a statement on Keeler's passing,

"We are devastated to have lost a member of our Rebel family," Odom said. "While I had the honor of knowing Ryan for only a couple of months, he already stood out to our coaching staff as an incredible person, student and teammate. Our condolences and prayers go out to Ryan's family as we grieve along with them over this tremendous loss."  

Las Vegas authorities are still investigating Keeler's passing.

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Alejandro Avila lives in Southern California and previously covered news for the LA Football Network. Jeopardy expert and grumpy sports fan. Known for having watched every movie and constant craving for dessert. @alejandroaveela (on X)