Northern Iowa announced that tight end Parker Sutherland died Saturday morning.
Sutherland was a freshman in 2025 and played in four games. He was a native of Iowa City, Iowa.
"I'm heartbroken," Northern Iowa coach Todd Stepsis said in a statement. "No words can express my condolences to [parents] Adam, Jill and [sister] Georgia. Parker embodied everything we look for in a UNI Football Panther. His talent and potential excited us on a daily basis, but it failed to compare to the type of person and teammate he was. His character, humility, toughness and genuine love of others are what champions are made of. While I'm saddened that our time together was short, we will celebrate the bright light that he brought to our football team for the rest of our lives."
On Thursday, a spokesperson for Northern Iowasaid in a statement to the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courierthat "Cedar Falls Fire & Rescue responded to a call at the UNI Athletics facilities on Thursday. There are no further details that can be shared at this time."
Saturday morning,CBS 2 in Cedar Rapids reportedthat "multiple sources tell Iowa's News Now that Sutherland collapsed during a workout that day."
Sutherland appeared in games against Utah Tech, North Dakota, Illinois State and Murray State. He was a second-team all-state player at Iowa City High School as a senior in 2024.
"It is a heartbreaking day for our Panther Athletics family with the passing of Parker Sutherland," athletic director Megan Franklin said. "He embraced the opportunity to play Panther football and represent the university through sport. We are devastated — just devastated. The blessing is that we have a Panther family who will hold the Sutherland family, our football team, and our athletics staff close as we grieve."
