When Edward Aschoff died suddenly on his 34th birthday in December, the shock reverberated across college football. Colleagues described a healthy, tireless reporter in the prime of his career. Nearly a month later, new medical details shared by his fiancée have clarified just how little warning there truly was.
At the time of his death, Aschoff was suffering from stage 4 non-Hodgkin lymphoma in his lungs — an aggressive cancer that was not detected until after he passed away. The diagnosis reframes a tragedy that, until now, had been publicly understood as a rapid decline caused by pneumonia alone.
According to Katy Berteau, Aschoff’s fiancée, the cancer was discovered through final biopsy results that arrived after his death. The lymphoma, combined with multifocal pneumonia, is believed to have triggered hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH), a rare immune disorder in which the body attacks its own tissues. HLH is notoriously difficult to diagnose and is often fatal without immediate, specialised treatment.
Medical experts note that both severe infections and certain blood cancers are known triggers for HLH, which helps explain the speed of Aschoff’s deterioration. He was admitted to intensive care and died within days — a timeline consistent with late-stage HLH cases, particularly when the underlying cause is undetected.
Aschoff’s career trajectory made the loss especially jarring. A respected reporter for ESPN, he covered college football with a reputation for accuracy, calm authority and strong relationships across programmes. He was widely viewed as part of the next generation of national college football voices, trusted by coaches and players alike.
Those who worked with him have since described a journalist who prioritised fairness over theatrics, and preparation over profile — traits that earned him credibility in an increasingly opinion-driven media landscape. His sudden absence left a noticeable gap during bowl season, a period when he was typically at his busiest.
Berteau said learning the full medical picture brought a painful sense of clarity. The cancer was already advanced and largely undetectable, meaning treatment options would likely have been limited even if it had been identified earlier. In her words, his passing was “inevitable,” a reality that reframes the tragedy from one of missed warning signs to one of medical stealth.
She also said Aschoff would have wanted people to understand that pneumonia was not the sole cause of his death. Advanced non-Hodgkin lymphoma can remain hidden until it reaches critical stages, particularly when it presents in the lungs rather than lymph nodes — a factor that complicates early diagnosis.
In lieu of flowers, Berteau announced that donations are being directed to a scholarship fund being established through the University of Florida’s College of Journalism and Communications, where Aschoff studied before beginning his career in sports media. The fund is intended to support aspiring journalists following a path similar to his own.
For the college football world, the new details do not lessen the loss — but they do bring context to a death that felt incomprehensible in real time. Aschoff’s story now stands as both a reminder of the limits of modern medicine and a reflection of how abruptly even the most promising careers can be cut short.
What remains unchanged is the impact he left behind: a journalist respected for his integrity, a colleague remembered for his kindness, and a life whose sudden end continues to resonate far beyond the press box.