MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) – The body of a University of Minnesota football player was found in a dorm room Friday morning, according to U officials.
The body of 22-year-old linebacker Gary Tinsley was found in Roy Wilkins Hall, a dorm which houses many student athletes.
Emergency responders tried to revive Tinsley, but were unsuccessful.
They say there are no signs of foul play, and the campus is not in any danger. The body was removed from the residence hall just before 11:30 a.m.
A source told WCCO that linebacker Gary Tinsley was on campus Thursday working out.
Tinsley, a native of Jacksonville, Fla., has been with the U football team since 2008. He has played in 44 games, and was second in total tackles during the team’s 2011 season with 87. He was set to graduate in May and had completed his eligibility with the Gophers football program, playing mostly at middle linebacker.
Teammates are reportedly meeting with coaches on Friday afternoon. There will be a press conference at 2 p.m. with Gophers head football coach Jerry Kill, senior quarterback MarQueis Gray and University Police Chief Greg Hestness.
Eric Kaler, the university’s president, said the school’s thoughts and prayers are with Tinsley’s family and friends.
“It is always difficult to lose a member of the University family,” Kaler said. “In addition, [Tinsley] was an important part of Gopher Athletics who was engaged in public service.”
The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office dispatch confirmed they have been dispatched to Wilkins Hall to assist an investigation being conducted by the University of Minnesota Police.
