Ferris Freshman Dies During Football Practice
Sept. 12, 2002
 Big Rapids, Mich. - Preparations for this Saturday's football game against Grand Valley State University took a tragic turn Wednesday afternoon when Ferris State University freshman linebacker Matt Sklom collapsed during a routine tackling drill.
At 4:27 p.m. Wednesday, Ferris Department of Public Safety and Mecosta County EMS personnel responded to a report of a football player who collapsed during practice. Attempts to save Sklom's life were unsuccessful - preliminary reports indicate heart failure as the cause of death.
The 18-year-old Sklom came to Ferris as a 2002 Eisenhower High School graduate and multi-sport high-school athlete from Blue Island, Ill., near Chicago. He was a CAD Drafting/Tool Design major who joined the Bulldog football team as a walk-on this fall.
Ferris head football coach Jeff Pierce described Sklom as a hard-working young man.
"Matt hadn't been here long - just a few weeks - so I didn't know him well," said Pierce. "What I saw in Matt was a good kid who worked hard and gave his all to playing football here at Ferris."
Athletics Director Tom Kirinovic said a meeting would be held this morning to discuss the status of this weekend's game versus Grand Valley, taking into account the wishes of team, and especially Sklom's family. A press conference with Coach Pierce and Kirinovic is scheduled for 1 p.m. today in Wheeler Pavilion at Top Taggart Field.
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