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Former BYU RB Ryan Folsom dies after head-on collision on California highway

Oregon native walked on in 2007 and also played in 2010 and 2011; leaves behind an expecting wife and two small sons

(Chris Detrick | The Salt Lake Tribune) BYU running back Ryan Folsom runs the ball during the BYU spring football game in April 2007.

Former BYU football player Ryan Folsom, a walk-on running back whose 74-yard run against Colorado State in 2010 still stands as the eighth-longest in school history, was killed Sunday in a head-on automobile collision while driving south on Interstate 5 near Anderson, Calif.

Folsom, who played for the Cougars in 2007 and 2010-11, was 29.

From Medford, Ore., Folsom leaves behind two small sons and his wife, Lauren, who is expecting the couple’s third child later this month. Folsom was training to be a physician and was driving to a set of interviews for his residency program.

Several of Folsom’s former teammates took to social media to memorialize him on Monday.

“Ryan embodied everything good about BYU football,” wrote former linebacker Brandon Ogletree. “He was smart, dedicated, competitive, tough, and one of the nicest guys I’ve ever met.”

Wrote former linebacker David Nixon: “I vividly remember going up against Ryan back in 2007 every day at practice. He had a huge smile any time you saw him. Prayers go out to his wife and kids and family.”

According to the California Highway Patrol, a 29-year-old woman from Red Bluff, Calif., was driving north in the southbound lanes when she collided with a 2012 Honda Accord driven by Folsom. The woman suffered a broken leg but survived the crash.

Folsom had 10 carries for 97 yards in his BYU career after a standout career at North Medford High School in Oregon. He received his Eagle Scout award and also lettered in wrestling. He served an LDS Church mission in Seoul, South Korea, and majored in neuroscience at BYU.

“If you talk about someone full of grit, integrity and high character, Ryan was every bit of that and more,” said former BYU defensive back Preston Hadley. “Heartbroken for his family after this tragic accident. RIP Brother.”

A fund to pay for funeral and other expenses has been set up at https://www.gofundme.com/ryan-folsom-memorial-fund.