Arizona OL Zach Hemmila dies

Arizona offensive lineman Zach Hemmila died in his sleep, Wildcats head coach Rich Rodriguez and athletic director Greg Byrne announced on Monday. Hemmila, a native of Chandler, Ariz., was a fifth-year senior for the Wildcats. He was 22.

Byrne said he and Rodriguez learned the tragic news Monday morning. A tearful Rodriguez broke the news to the team before addressing reporters. No details about Hemmila’s death were immediately known.

Rodriguez said he spoke to Hemmila, who he described as a “great young man,” for about 45 minutes a few days ago. He also said he spoke with Hemmila on Sunday night after a team meeting.

“Two nights ago he just out of the blue came and sat beside me. We talked for about 45 minutes just about everything,” Rodriguez said.

“He was a great young man and we’re just so deeply saddened,” Byrne added. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family and friends and the team and the coaches and everybody involved. He’s a Chandler kid, a local kid. He means so much to our program.”

Hemmila joined the program in 2012, when he redshirted. He saw his first action for the Wildcats as a reserve in 2014, when he appeared in 14 games both on offense and on special teams.

Hemmila took a more prominent role in 2015, playing in 13 games and starting six at left guard. He was competing to start at center for the Wildcats in 2016.

For more Arizona news, visit GOAZCats.com.

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Sam Cooper is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!

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