Lombard soccer star died from heart failure

• Article
• Comments
• Photos (1)

A coroner has ruled that Columbus Crew rookie midfielder Kirk Urso of Lombard, left, died Aug. 5 of heart failure caused by arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. A former star at the University of North Carolina, Urso was 22 at the time of his death.   Photo courtesy of The Columbus Dispatch/Eamon Quee

 1 of 1 

 

View other photograph collections

Rookie Columbus Crew midfielder Kirk Urso died of a preexisting heart condition that he likely did not know he had, Franklin County coroner Dr. Jan Gorniak told The Columbus Dispatch Friday.

The final autopsy report is being processed, but Gorniak told reporter Adam Jardy that Urso died of arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy.

"Sometimes the only presenting symptom for this is sudden cardiac death," Gorniak said. "He probably didn't know he had an issue."

Urso, a 22-year-old Lombard resident, started 5 games for the Columbus Crew this season but was rehabbing at the time from adductor tendonitis. He died Aug. 5 after he was found unconscious but breathing at a Columbus restaurant/bar. He was the captain of a University of North Carolina team that won the NCAA title his senior year.

Here is a link to the full story.

Here is a link to a video tribute to Urso by the Columbus Crew.

Here is a link to a letter from Urso's family to the soccer community.