ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff, 34, dies on birthday

ESPN college football reporter Edward Aschoff died on Tuesday — his 34th birthday.

A native of Oxford, Mississippi and a 2008 graduate of the University of Florida, Aschoff began his career at ESPN as an SEC reporter for ESPN.com in 2011, before taking on a more expanded role for the network — including television — in 2017.

"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."

Aschoff had been battling pneumonia this month, which he first tweeted about on Dec. 5.

"Anyone ever had multifocal (bilateral) pneumonia in their early 30s as some who never gets sick and has a very good immune system?" Aschoff asked his followers.

He replied to another tweet the same day, detailing the symptoms he had been dealing with for weeks: "So I had a virus for two weeks. Fever and cough and the doctors think it turned into this multifocal pneumonia recently. I’m on day 4 of antibiotics. Days are getting better but nights are basically fever and coughing and sweating."

On Nov. 30, Aschoff was on hand for ESPN's coverage of one of the biggest games in college football and the Big Ten's premier rivalry — Ohio State vs. Michigan. Aschoff called it a "bucket list" item.

It’s freezing at The Game but @UMichFootball students brought some great early energy inside the Big House #[email protected]/lqpo9gDvnn

"Ed was one of the smartest, brightest reporters I've ever had the pleasure of working with," ESPN executive editor Lauren Reynolds said. "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.

Before joining ESPN, Aschoff covered Gators football and recruting for The Gainesville Sun in Florida.

Aschoff and his fiancee, Katy, were scheduled to be married in April 2020 in New Orleans.

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