A Nittany Lion is in need of all our support today.

A family member of Penn State safety Ryan Keiser is asking for prayers, saying he is in critical condition at the Hershey Medical Center’s Surgical Intensive Care unit. The message indicates he has sepsis, a potentially fatal infection that results in widespread inflammation and can shut down important organs.

Onward State was able to confirm the accuracy of Keiser’s condition with a person close to the situation, who requested anonymity. During a practice last Thursday, Keiser suffered a fractured rib that led to a torn bowel, excessive internal bleeding, and fluid build-up in the lungs that required a pair of surgeries.

Keiser’s aunt posted this message on Facebook Monday: “Please pray for my Nephew Ryan Keiser. He was injured Thursday during Penn State football practice. A fractured rib. However, he was in dire pain and rushed to Hershey Medical Hospital and when they opened him up he had torn bowels and Sepsis and was in Intensive Care until this morning when they scheduled another operation this morning at 7:30 and is still in surgery as I am writing this. I pray that God will heal his body and wish for all those at Church to pray for God to guide the surgeons. Thank you so much.”

Penn State announced that Keiser was out for the season yesterday, citing a rib injury.

Keiser is a redshirt senior, former walk-on, and the only married player on the Nittany Lions. The Selinsgrove native finally earned a starting job for good this year after starting the final four games of the 2013 season. He’s come up with a trio of game-clinching interceptions in his career — two last season against Illinois and Wisconsin, and another this year against Rutgers.

We all wish Keiser a complete and speedy recovery. We’ll update you on the situation as we know more.

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UPDATE 1:47 p.m.

Coach Franklin addressed the Keiser situation at his press conference today, saying that Keiser’s condition “is improving.”

“Ryan Keiser did suffer a fracture in a rib at practice last Thursday. After undergoing operations for a small bowel injury sustained, overall he is improving, and he is at the Hershey Medical Center right now,” Franklin said. “There is no infection.”

“So I just wanted to make sure we’re clear, Ryan’s family has our complete support, I’ve talked to his mother, I talked to Ryan, our trainers and doctors have been in constant with him and have been involved every step of the way. I just want to clear that up, because I know how the Penn State community supports one another. I want to make sure everyone understands clearly what’s going on. That’s about all I’m going to comment and talk about that, the rest of it is up to the family and their personal information, what they want to share. This has been approved by the family as a statement.”

Franklin was asked if he could confirm that Keiser was in stable condition.

“This is the statement I was allowed to release,” he responded. “Kinda leave it at that.”

Assistant Athletic Director for Communications Jeff Nelson was also asked if he could confirm the statement from Keiser’s aunt that he developed Sepsis. He had no comment.

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UPDATE 10/29, 4:31 p.m.

Per usual, Nelson has no comment for us, but he did confirm to another reporter today that Keiser underwent another surgery and is now in the Intensive Care Unit. Nelson previously stated that Keiser was in “stable” condition.

Update on Ryan Keiser via @GoPSUJeff: He remains at Hershey in the ICU after having another surgery today. Keiser continues to improve.

— Zack Neiner (@ZackNeiner) October 29, 2014

Keiser remains in the thoughts of all of Nittany Nation as we hope for his full recovery.

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UPDATE 10/30, 6:49 p.m.

James Franklin provided good news tonight during his weekly radio show from Damon’s regarding Keiser’s status.

JF says hospitalized safety Ryan Keiser is “doing extremely well.” JF said he’s talked to Ryan, his family and his wife.

— Audrey Snyder (@audsnyder4) October 30, 2014

We wish Keiser a speedy recovery. 

A previous headline included the word “infection.” While we are not medical experts, we interpret Sepsis — which is an extremely serious inflammation — to be a type of infection, or at least caused by an infection. The headline is updated to conform to the language in Franklin’s statement.