"Kayla was a beautiful, loving and unforgettable soul whose laughter, kindness and love touched so many lives." That's the family of Kayla Saager-Beckley, breaking their silence after the former soccer captain and assistant coach died suddenly on September 9, along with her unborn daughter, Sawyer. She was 30 years old.
Kayla was found unresponsive following a morning workout. Her husband, John Beckley — outside linebackers coach at Tulsa University — shared the family's statement as his program and the wider football community tried to process the loss.
A community in mourning
Tulsa head football coach Tre Lamb addressed it publicly on September 14. "She was 30 years old. She was pregnant with their daughter, Sawyer. It's been tough on our staff." The Golden Hurricanes held a memorial and will wear helmet stickers in her honor.
No cause of death has been confirmed. The Tulsa County Medical Examiner's Office told the New York Post that a determination could be months away.
Kayla's soccer career covered serious ground. She started at NC State, moved to West Virginia, then transferred to Binghamton ahead of the 2017 season — where she helped turn a team that had finished last in the America East the year prior into conference champions in her very first season. Binghamton head coach Neel Bhattacharjee remembered her as "a dangerous and dynamic forward with a true gift for finding the back of the net." After graduating in 2019, she played professionally in the Czech Republic before moving into coaching. Her most recent role was assistant coach at Troy University in Alabama.
How to help
The family has asked that in lieu of flowers, donations be made in Kayla and Sawyer's memory to one of two causes:
- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
- The Bee Foundation — which funds awareness, education, prevention and research around brain aneurysms
"Any donation made in Kayla and Sawyer's memory would be deeply appreciated and would help turn their memory into something that can bring hope and help to others," the family's statement read.
Tulsa football shared the statement on X, closing with: "Forever loved. Never forgotten. Always in our hearts."
