WASHINGTON 鈥� When University of Maryland football player Jordan McNair collapsed during a workout last spring, doctors who are experts in the field say his death was 100 percent preventable. And yet, it鈥檚 not the anomaly you might think it is, either.
Since the year 2000, more than 30 college football players have collapsed and died during workouts. That number climbs to more than 50 when you factor in other Division 1 athletes.
During the same period of time, only one NFL player has suffered the same fate. In 2001, Korey Stringer collapsed and died during a training camp workout with the Minnesota Vikings.
What’s behind the disparity?
鈥淚t has a multifaceted answer,鈥� said Dr. Douglas Casa, the CEO of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut. 鈥淥ne of the factors is that the players have no representation at the college level. There鈥檚 no union, nobody to look out for them in terms of making sure we don鈥檛 have ridiculous strength and condition sessions.鈥�
A school has never been punished by the NCAA because one of its athletes has died after a practice, he said.
鈥淐an you imagine if the NCAA put as much effort into protecting college football players as they did worrying about what to do about all the money (that) comes in,鈥� Casa said. 鈥淲e would never have to worry about a death. There would be best practices implemented at every level.鈥�
鈥淎t the pro level you have representation,鈥� Casa said. 鈥淎t the pro level they鈥檙e seeing them more as a big investment and you鈥檙e not going to something that鈥檚 going to jeopardize the health and safety of one of your players you鈥檙e paying $25 million a year to. In college they鈥檙e disposable. These are dispensable commodities. They can just put another player in their spot.鈥�
That dynamic comes even as college are putting more emphasis on workouts, Casa said, part of what he calls the 鈥渁rms race鈥� in the strength and conditioning sector.
鈥淲e have a situation where we have unchecked strength and conditioning profession able to do whatever they want to do,鈥� Casa said. 鈥淎 lack of supervision on site and a lack of regulation on the national level create a problematic scenario.鈥�
While the strength and conditioning coach at the University of Maryland was hired by the recently fired coach DJ Durkin, there was ambiguity about who he actually reported to. Casa said it should be crystal clear, and that the strength coach should never report to the head football coach.
Casa said the NCAA has also missed the opportunity to take action and enact standards that would help athletes.
鈥淚n 2012 we released a document, ‘Preventing Sudden Death in Collegiate Conditioning Sessions,’ which was endorsed by 14 leading sports medicine organizations,鈥� he said. 鈥淭he NCAA did not endorse that document or did not bring those recommendations forward to invoke new policy. And the problem continues.鈥�
