MU player dies after workout - (pictures of his collapse)

[proud2BlibKansan]

MU player dies after workout
Freshman O’Neal, 19, ‘worked hard every day.’
By RUS BAER and MATTHEW LeBLANC of the Tribune’s staff
Published Wednesday, July 13, 2005

An autopsy was planned today for a University of Missouri-Columbia football player who collapsed during a voluntary workout yesterday on Faurot Field and later died.


2:06 p.m.: O’Neal runs through a drill about a half-hour after practice began.


2:22 p.m.: Pat Ivey, University of Missouri-Columbia irector of strength and conditioning, far right, encourages Aaron O’Neal to finish a drill during yesterday’s practice as Josh Stoner, associate director of strength and conditioning, watches.


2:32 p.m.: Chris Crosby, left, and Lorenzo Williams speak to O’Neal shortly before his collapse.
 

2:39 p.m.: Above, O’Neal lies on the field after collapsing near the end of the hourlong workout.


2:43 p.m.: Teammate Darren Meade helps O’Neal back to the locker room at the end of practice.

Jenna Isaacson photos

Aaron O’Neal, 19, a 6-foot-3-inch, 220-pound redshirt freshman linebacker, was among 12 Missouri football players participating in an afternoon workout conducted by MU Director of Strength and Conditioning Pat Ivey. He collapsed at 2:39 p.m. during the workout and was pronounced dead at University Hospital at 4:05 p.m.
Dori Burke, a death investigator with the Boone County Medical Examiner’s Office, said an autopsy was scheduled for 11:30 a.m. and that results could come later today.

MU officials have declined to comment on O’Neal’s medical history or a possible cause of death, saying they would wait for autopsy results.

"The university is not going to speculate on cause of death or anything that might have happened today until the final medical examiner’s report," UM spokesman Christian Basi said last night. "Our focus tonight is on Aaron and his family."

O’Neal, a Creve Coeur native and graduate of Parkway North High School, started to struggle with conditioning drills about 45 minutes into the hour-long workout. Temperatures at the time were between 86 and 88 degrees, with relative humidity of about 40 percent, according to data from MU’s Sanborn Field Weather Station.

http://www.columbiatribune.com/2005/Jul/20050713News005.asp
 



 

[Lefty48197]

1. What a tragedy

It's quite possible to have football workouts safely during the summer, but the team physicians should ensure that the players drink fluids before, during, and after practice. The fact that the practice was only scheduled to be one hour long, sounds like the team acted responsibly.

[CottonBear]

2. How awful. His family must be devastated.

What a handsome young man with his whole life ahead of him. :cry:
I seems that a death like this happens every year. How sad. They should be much more careful during such hot and humid weather. :(

[proud2BlibKansan]

4. He was the boyfriend of a co-worker of mine

She said the family is just devastated.

[MnFats]

3. Corey Stringer (Mn. Vikings) all over again...

...they do not check these guys out to see they're in shape to endure these workouts in such heat.

and -macho, macho man -- there is pressure to continue the workout, ignore pain and signs of illness, for fear of being seen as weak or lacking commitment. Plus, others are trying to take your spot away from you. Keep going, no matter how sick you are.

this is a goddamn tragedy but it's not surprising.

[RayOfHope]

5. While this is a terrible tragedy

The heat was not excessive in Mid Mo that day, nor was practice that long for an athlete in such good shape.