Place an Ad Calendars Classified Forums Sports Weather

sptimes.com Text-only News sections Arts & Entertainment AP The Wire Business Citrus County Columnists Floridian Hernando County Hillsborough Letters Movies Neighborhood Times News Update North Pinellas North of Tampa Obituaries Opinion Pasco County South Pinellas Sports State Tampa Bay TV Times World & Nation  Find your local news section Weekly sections Brandon Times City Times Homes Outdoors Perspective Personal Tech Taste Travel Weekend Xpress Special Sections Arena football Buccaneers College football Devil Rays Lightning Police reports Schools Seniority Subscriber Services Subscribe Renew Help Advertise Place an ad In print Online Market Info Join Us Internships Scholarships Times Jobs Contact us

'We are devastated'

Vikings lineman dies of heatstroke a day after collapsing in training camp.

Compiled from Times wires

© St. Petersburg Times,
published August 2, 2001

MANKATO, Minn. -- Korey Stringer was determined to prove himself, especially after he needed to be carted off the field on the first day of practice because of exhaustion in the sweltering heat.

Instead, he collapsed of heatstroke after returning Tuesday and died 15 hours later.

The shocking death of the likable Pro Bowl offensive tackle -- the first of its kind in the NFL -- left the Vikings and the league in mourning and raised questions about how teams practice in the brutal heat of July and August.

"We know we have to play football. But that's not on our mind right now," Vikings coach Dennis Green said. "We have lost a 27-year-old man and we are going to miss him."

Stringer, who weighed 335 pounds, vomited three times during the morning conditioning drills in stifling humidity and temperatures in the low 90s. He didn't summon a trainer until the drills had ended, perhaps trying to show he could make it through the day in a league known for its machismo.

Stringer then went to an air-conditioned trailer serving as a makeshift training room on the practice field and lost consciousness. Trainers called paramedics, who took Stringer to Immanuel St. Joseph's-Mayo Health Center. He had a body temperature of 108.8.

His organs failed and he never regained consciousness before dying at 1:50 a.m. Wednesday.

NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue ordered all 31 teams to review their rules on training.

"When this happens, it should cause everybody to wake up," Cleveland Browns president Carmen Policy said.

Many Vikings, including the entire offensive line, visited Stringer in the hospital throughout the night. Green and teammates Cris Carter and Randy Moss were there until the end.

"We thought everything was going to change" at the hospital, Carter said. "There's nothing that can prepare you for something like this. The amount of hurt we have as a team -- we are devastated."

Moss, wearing a black baseball cap low over his eyes, joined Carter and Green at a news conference and had to be helped from the podium as he sobbed.

"The only thing I've been thinking about for the last 24 hours is, if he does die, what happens to his little boy?" Moss said, referring to Stringer's 3-year-old son, Kodie.

"I don't even know how and when I'm going to get over this, because it's hard."

Green, who also fought back tears, said: "Korey meant so much to us because he always had that smile on his face."

Stringer, a first-round draft pick out of Ohio State in 1995, had problems keeping his weight under control and often had trouble in the first days of camp. But so do many players.

Trainer Chuck Barta said five other Vikings had heat-related problems at practice.

Barta said he sometimes recommends toning down the intensity of practice because of heat, but it wasn't clear if he did so Tuesday.

The session had one-on-one drills with intense hitting, lasting from 8:45 a.m. to 11:10 a.m., a bit longer than usual. Players have access to fluids and iced towels, but no water-misting devices or fans.

Green declined to answer questions about how practice was handled in the heat or how Stringer was treated during the drills. The hospital and team officials said they couldn't release details without permission from Stringer's family.

Vikings camp doctor David Knowles said Stringer suffered damage to his vital organs, developed a bleeding disorder, kidney failure and then heart failure.

Carter made it clear no one was pointing fingers.

"It's hot everywhere," Carter said. "That's why they call it the dog days of summer. ... There's certain things you can't explain."

Stringer's wife, Kelci, and Kodie were at the team's training facility Wednesday and other relatives were still arriving.

The Vikings canceled practice but will hold abbreviated workouts today without pads. An intrasquad scrimmage scheduled for Friday night has been called off.

Stringer started every game at right tackle the past two seasons. He was one of the most popular players in the locker room, known for doing impressions of teammates and coaches.

"He did me the best," Green said.

Stringer was popular with fans, too. The Warren, Ohio, native lived in the Twin Cities year-round and had established community service programs at schools and with the St. Paul public library.

The death came six days after Florida freshman Eraste Autin died after collapsing of heatstroke. Figures from the University of North Carolina show that 18 high school or college players have died of heat-related causes since 1995.

The only other NFL training camp fatality is believed to be J.V. Cain, a tight end for the then-St. Louis Cardinals, who died of a heart attack on July 22, 1979, his 28th birthday.

"We never thought he'd die," Carter said of Stringer.

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright