22-year-old Montana football player found dead in apparent suicide

A 22-year-old college football player died in an apparent suicide Tuesday.

The University of Montana confirmed the death of Andrew Harris, a redshirt senior defensive end for the Football Championship Subdivision school, in a statement to The Associated Press and other outlets. 

Brenda Bassett, a spokesperson for the Missoula County Sherriff's Office, told USA TODAY Sports that the coroner had ruled the death a suicide.

"The University of Montana is deeply saddened to learn of the loss of one its students, Andrew Harris," the university said in its statement. "Harris was a senior majoring in business management from Kalispell, Montana. He graduated in 2015 from Glacier High School and was a member of the Grizzly football team."

In response to questions about Harris, Missoula Police Department spokesperson Travis Welsh told USA TODAY Sports that police are investigating an "unattended death" that appeared to be suicide, but he referred questions about the final determination of the cause and manner of death to the coroner's office.

Harris appeared in eight games as a redshirt junior last season, recording one tackle and a half-sack.

You may also want to read:

• How to help someone who's suicidal
• If you've ever had suicidal thoughts, make a safety plan
• Suicide prevention: Self-care tips, true stories on how survivors cope
• What actually happens when you call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
• After a suicide, here’s what happens to the people left behind

If you or someone you know may be struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-TALK (8255) any time of day or night or chat online.

Contact Tom Schad at tschad@usatoday.com or on Twitter @Tom_Schad.