Ben Siegfried, an XFL trainer for the St. Louis Battlehawks, passed away in Arlington, Texas, on Thursday night. He was 22 years old.
His employers, the Washington Defenders, the Battlehawks, and the XFL, all revealed his passing on Twitter on Friday.
There was no stated cause of death.
“Siegfried played a crucial role in getting our Defenders and Battlehawks ready for the season.” All of the players and staff who had the pleasure of working with him will really miss his contagious smile in the locker room and his enthusiasm for his work, the statement read.
According to Lebanon Valley College in Annville, Pennsylvania, Siegfried was a graduate student specializing in sports training who was undergoing clinical training with the NFL.
The XFL will pay tribute to him on Sunday at 3 p.m. during the Battlehawks’ inaugural home game in the Dome at America’s Center against the Arlington Renegades and during the Defenders’ game against the Vegas Vipers.
