Shocking: 34 year old Ed Aschoff passes away

Alumni Guy

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He carried the sun while Pat and Robbie twiddled their thumbs.

Can’t speak for him personally, but professionally he was 1st class.

Condolences to his family.
 

GatorJ

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Edward Aschoff, ESPN college football reporter, dies at age 34
9:16 PM ET
  • Andrea Adelson
  • Chris Low

    Edward Aschoff, a beloved college football reporter for ESPN, died on Tuesday after a brief illness. He was 34.

    "We are very sorry to have to share the devastating news of the tragic passing of friend and ESPN colleague Edward Aschoff," ESPN said in a statement. "He died earlier today, his 34th birthday. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, including his fiancee Katy."

    A talented storyteller, whether he was on camera or crafting a written piece, Aschoff joined ESPN in 2011 as part of the SEC blog network after covering recruiting and Florida football for The Gainesville Sun. A graduate of the University of Florida, Aschoff had a keen sense of humor and connected with many he crossed paths with, be it professionally or personally.

    USC coach Clay Helton opened his news conference Tuesday to offer his thoughts on Aschoff.

    "Very, very sad," Helton said. "Very surprising. Wish nothing but the best for his family. Our condolences go out. He was nothing but first class to this organization and always to me. Ed, you'll be missed."

    Aschoff was easy to spot in press boxes. Not only was he almost always the most dapperly dressed person there, with a collection of quirky socks that made him the envy of those around him -- but his bright smile and radiant disposition always drew a crowd.

    His witty picks columns in the SEC blog were must-reads, and he oftentimes poked fun at himself about everything from his cat, Meeko, to his love of soccer. He was an inaugural season ticket-holder for Atlanta United FC and was there to watch the team win its first MLS Cup in 2018.

    Aschoff had a knack for gaining the trust of people to tell the most delicate of stories, including his last feature on LSU running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire and his unique relationship with his father and stepfather.

    He was equally tenacious when it came to tracking down news and taking an even-handed look at some of the more polarizing subjects in college football. In 2016, Aschoff and fellow ESPN reporter Adam Rittenberg won first place in the Football Writers Association of America writing contest in the enterprise category for their look at how race plays a role in college football after several African-American players confided in them about their experiences with race and racism on campus. Michael Weinreb, who served as a contest judge, called the reporting "eye-opening" and "surprisingly frank."

    "Ed was one of the smartest, brightest reporters I've ever had the pleasure of working with," said ESPN executive editor Lauren Reynolds. "Watching him grow from our co-SEC reporter with Chris Low to a multi-platform national reporter was a treat. For as good of a reporter Ed was, he was an even better person. He always put people first -- those whose stories he told, and those who had the honor of working alongside him.

    "The outpouring of love and support from those whose lives he touched has been overwhelming, and is a testament to the light he brought to this world."

    Universally loved by his ESPN colleagues, Aschoff was the life of the party on road trips and became a connoisseur of all the top restaurants and night spots in college football locales. But his favorite lunch spot was Ajax Diner on the historic Square in Oxford, Mississippi.

    In a tweet posted Tuesday night, ESPN senior vice president Rob King described Aschoff as "a ray of light."

    "He smiled with his entire being, loved his fiancee and family, and brought joy to the job," King said in his tweet. "I hope you knew him, too."

    Several of Aschoff's fellow college football reporters also took to social media to remember him.


    Kyle Bonagura

    ✔@BonaguraESPN

    https://twitter.com/BonaguraESPN/status/1209662668438568962

    Edward Aschoff was one of my closest friends. He was was one the most genuine, enthusiastic, personable people I’ve ever and he made the world a better place.

    Today is unspeakably sad and I’m devastated for Katy and his family.


    204

    9:30 PM - Dec 24, 2019
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    Adam Rittenberg

    ✔@ESPNRittenberg

    https://twitter.com/ESPNRittenberg/status/1209661983458578433

    Ed Aschoff is one of the best people I know. Talented, kind, fun, gracious and always positive. A great colleague and an even better friend. All of us are devastated and heartbroken. Just isn’t fair. I love you, Ed, and will miss you. Prayers to Katy and Ed’s family. https://twitter.com/espnpr/status/1209657035341598725 …

    ESPN PR

    ✔@ESPNPR

    Statement from ESPN: “We are very sorry to have to share the devastating news of the tragic passing of friend and ESPN colleague Edward Aschoff. He died earlier today, his 34th birthday. Our thoughts are with his loved ones, including his fiancée Katy.”


    134

    9:27 PM - Dec 24, 2019 · Berkeley, CA
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    Bruce Feldman

    ✔@BruceFeldmanCFB

    https://twitter.com/BruceFeldmanCFB/status/1209648338766688256

    Devastated about Ed Aschoff’s passing. One of the kindest, warm-hearted people I’ve ever met. And, if you were lucky enough to have gotten to know him, there’s no question you feel that way too.. God, he will be missed.


    658

    8:33 PM - Dec 24, 2019
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    Max Olson

    ✔@max_olson

    https://twitter.com/max_olson/status/1209651091186626561

    Can’t fathom the idea I won’t get to see Ed Aschoff again. Can’t fathom how this even happened. He was so damn young and so damn talented. This is a brutal loss.


    42

    8:44 PM - Dec 24, 2019
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    Aschoff cut his teeth on SEC football while growing up in Oxford, where his father, the late Peter Aschoff, was a professor at Ole Miss. His mother, the late Patricia Aschoff, was a well-respected special education teacher in the Oxford School District. Aschoff always called her fried chicken and mac & cheese second to none.

    He attended the University of Florida from 2004-08, and got an up-close view of some of those powerhouse national championship Gators' teams under Urban Meyer, helping cover the 2008 national championship team for The Gainesville Sun.

    Upon joining the ESPN staff, Aschoff moved to Atlanta and quickly became known as the ATL Kid. As Aschoff progressed in the media business, he took pride in helping younger journalists break into the business and was always there to counsel and guide them any way he could.

    He moved to Los Angeles in 2017 to begin a more expanded national role that included television coverage. Over the past three seasons, Aschoff reported from campuses across the country for ESPN.com, SportsCenter, SEC Network and ESPN Radio, and worked as a television and radio sideline reporter during college football games.

    But Aschoff was more than just a college football fan. He loved sports, rooting for the Carolina Panthers in the NFL, the Anaheim Mighty Ducks in the NHL, the Colorado Rockies in MLB and the Toronto Raptors in the NBA. He was able to watch the Raptors beat Golden State this past June in Oracle Arena, writing on his Instagram page, "I remember being a little nerd in the backseat of my parents' car when my dad told me that the new NBA team would be named after a dinosaur. I immediately disowned the Bulls (sorry mom) and have been rooting for the Toronto Raptors ever since."

    Nothing got Aschoff more giddy than Godzilla, whom he grew up idolizing. He could hardly contain his excitement when he was cast as an extra in Godzilla 2, released in May, and was able to attend the premiere in Los Angeles, where he got to meet a childhood hero, Kyle Chandler.

    Aschoff and his fiancee, Katy, were set to be married in New Orleans in April. When Katy proposed to Edward last December, she gave him a Godzilla ring as she got on one knee.
 

NavetG8r

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Sheeshhh, way too young. RIP and prayers to the family.
 

B52G8rAC

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One of the bright spots at the Sun. Go rest high on that mountain young man. Vaya con Dios.
 

divits

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Wow. So very sad. I'm not used to hearing about or seeing someone so young and apparently healthy dying of pneumonia. His career was just taking off. Just awful.
 

78

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bayou gator

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Just now hearing about this... Damn, this is sad news. It is very hard to comprehend how such a vibrant and talented guy could die from pneumonia at such a young age. The Gator nation lost a great one.

RIP
 

GatorJ

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yep sad. Click below and read his comments in the thread.

 

Swamp Donkey

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Damn. Yeah this is miserable. Had a virus for two weeks and it morphed into this monster. I’m on two different antibiotics a day. Taking one twice a day and the other once. Walking is not my friend

He obviously wasnt even hospitalized and was talking about drinking lime juice etc for hydration.
 

divits

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Young healthy people who aren't used to being sick like this usually think they can just fight it off. Wish he had been on IV antibiotics and 24 hour care earlier but it's hard to second guess specially without knowing all the details. But people should always go to the hospital if they ever say to themselves, "This is the sickest I've ever been" or "the most pain I've ever had" or "I just don't feel right". That's what hospitals are for.
 

deuce

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No rhyme, no reason, just life........ So sorry for his family and loved ones but he has passed on from this mortal condition and I have Faith that he is in a better place. RIP Gator!
 

Slevin

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Best writer from Gainesville in 20+ years.

Young. Enormous potential.
Ed and Abolverdi went back to back as our “recruiting” writer at GSMB right? He was always nice and had some great articles. Wasn’t as big a Pumper as Zach We Getting Everybody Alboverdi. Seemed very honest and obviously motivated to get as far as he did. Some of these other guys are still meddling around in small Florida markets and he ended up in LA covering USC.
 

heversle

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Absolutely awful news. Way too young for something like this to happen. Prayers to his family and loved ones. Seemed like a really good guy. :(
 

GatorJ

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Ed and Abolverdi went back to back as our “recruiting” writer at GSMB right? He was always nice and had some great articles. Wasn’t as big a Pumper as Zach We Getting Everybody Alboverdi. Seemed very honest and obviously motivated to get as far as he did. Some of these other guys are still meddling around in small Florida markets and he ended up in LA covering USC.

Yes. Much better writer than Albolverdi. Albolverdi is more of an opinion writer who guises as a reporter.
 

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