Arizona football player unexpectedly dies in his sleep

Published Nov. 15, 2016 3:49 p.m. ET

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Teddy Mitrosilis

Arizona offensive lineman Zach Hemmila unexpectedly passed away in his sleep Sunday night, the school announced Monday.

Head coach Rich Rodriguez and athletic director Greg Byrne informed the team Monday morning, but Arizona did not initially release any details about a potential cause of death.

After meeting with the team, an emotional Rodriguez and Byrne spoke with local reporters.

Rodriguez: "The only thought on my mind right now is Zach Hemmila's family. Lost a great young man. Everybody in our program is hurting. Talked to his dad just a little bit ago -- they've been down here for the last couple days. I don't know any of the details. Last I saw him was last night after our meeting. Two nights ago [we] talked for about 45 minutes, about everything ... happy. I appreciate no speculation. He's a great young man."

Byrne: "He passed away in his sleep last night. We were notified this morning. We'll have grief counselors here from campus to support the team ... and everybody that got to be around Zach. As coach said, he was a great young man. We're just so deeply saddened, and our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and his teammates and the coaches. He's a Chandler [Arizona] kid, a local kid, and means so much to our program."

Hemmila, a redshirt senior who started six games on the offensive line last season for the Wildcats, was found in his room by his cousin, Byrne said. "He passed away in his sleep -- that's all we know."

Below is some of the social media tributes Arizona players posted after learning of Hemmila's passing.

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