DMD Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Tragic way to start the season and end a life... DENVER -- San Francisco offensive lineman Thomas Herrion collapsed in the locker room and died Sunday morning, shortly after the 49ers played the Denver Broncos in a preseason game. Herrion, a 6-foot-3, 310-pound guard, was on the field for San Francisco's 14-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a touchdown with 2 seconds left. Players had finished listening to coach Mike Nolan address them in a postgame meeting when Herrion collapsed. Medics administered CPR on him and took him to an ambulance that rushed him to a nearby hospital. About three hours later, 49ers spokesman Aaron Salkin confirmed that Herrion had died. The cause of death was not immediately known. "This is a colossal tragedy for the 49ers and the entire NFL community," Salkin said. "We still do not know all the details. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Herrion family." The death comes a little more than four years after offensive lineman Korey Stringer of the Minnesota Vikings died of heatstroke during a training camp practice on a day during which the heat index soared to 110. Since Stringer's death, NFL teams have increased their efforts to teach players about hydration and how to manage the heat. They have been experimenting with sensors to measure players' core body temperatures, although those by themselves wouldn't be able to prevent a heat-related death. Temperatures were in the mid-60s with 50 percent humidity Saturday night in Denver, although experts say heatstroke can occur even in cool conditions. After the game, Nolan said he had no comments about San Francisco's 26-21 loss to the Broncos. "There are more important things on our mind than the game," he said. "Right now, our thoughts and prayers are with Thomas Herrion." Shortly after that statement, the Niners got dressed and boarded buses that took them to the Denver airport for their flight back to California. "We didn't see anything happen," Niners defensive lineman Marques Douglas said. "I sat by my locker and prayed for him." Herrion, a first-year player with the 49ers, played college ball at Utah and spent part of last season on the San Francisco and Dallas practice squads. He also played this season with the Hamburg Sea Dogs of NFL Europe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Turf Smurf Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 My and my families thoughts and prayers go out to him and especially his family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Let It Ride Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Rest in peace my UTE brethren....... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abishagenaden Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 R.I.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donutrun Jellies Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Tragedy. Prayers go out for his family. The scary thing is that temps were moderate -- in the 60s -- the write up says heatstroke can occur even at cool temps ... wow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
msaint Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Just horrible news. Very sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
borge007 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 This kind of news certainly puts fantasy football in perspective. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Czarina Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Furley Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Tragedy. Prayers go out for his family. The scary thing is that temps were moderate -- in the 60s -- the write up says heatstroke can occur even at cool temps ... wow. 939947[/snapback] I was surprised by this as well. What a terrible story. Sounds like the kid had just been fighting to make a team for a few years. Too bad this happened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trainer_Phil Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 This is a bit tougher for me to stomach. My Niners source found out about his death while we were talking on the phone and he broke down. Absolutely nothing can prepare you for this type of news. Very sad indeed. Tragedy. Prayers go out for his family. The scary thing is that temps were moderate -- in the 60s -- the write up says heatstroke can occur even at cool temps ... wow. 939947[/snapback] Based on what I'm hearing heatstroke isn't believed to be the cause of death but we won't hear anything official until after the autopsy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Last Plane Out Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 A young person's death is always a tragedy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caveman_Nick Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MothAudio Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Yesterday I ran a half marathon and 2 people collapsed late in the race and another 6 in the medical tent receiving treatment. I told the massuer that I was surprized there weren't more. It was brutal out there, 82 degrees, 95% humidity and the sun was blazing off the black top on us. Fortunately, most people took caution and adjusted their goals. I saw 3 of the elite runners walking because of the weather [saving their fitness for another race]. I finally stopped for a minute at the 12 mile marker just to down 3-4 cups of Gatorade before continuing. I remember telling a few people yesterday that today wasn't a day to be a hero. At least he died chasing his dream. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocknrobn26 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 RIP! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Red Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 At least he died chasing his dream. 940020[/snapback] Exactly. Horrible he died. At least he went out while doing what he loved at the highest level possible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh-mongus Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 (edited) Tragedy. Prayers go out for his family. The scary thing is that temps were moderate -- in the 60s -- the write up says heatstroke can occur even at cool temps ... wow. 939947[/snapback] Very sad. May he rest in peace. Since he was playing in Denver, I wonder if the altitude played a factor in any way. High Altitude and its Effects on Exercise Performance[ Edited August 21, 2005 by Hugh-mongus Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MikesVikes Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I read last week that the size of the average HS lineman is bigger than the average lineman of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins team. The ESPN sports columnists are talking about this right now. Sounds like he weighed more like 350 last year and probably needed to get down to a lower weight this year. What a tragedy. My sympathies to his family, friends, and teammates. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loaf Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 all of the best out to him and his family Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savage Beatings Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I actually gasped when I read this. How profoundly sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaptainHook Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I wonder if he had a heart condition. It seems like that is usually what the cause of death is in a situation like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skins Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Swerski Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 Absolutely horrible news. R.I.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pedroz13 Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I read last week that the size of the average HS lineman is bigger than the average lineman of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins team. The ESPN sports columnists are talking about this right now. Sounds like he weighed more like 350 last year and probably needed to get down to a lower weight this year. What a tragedy. My sympathies to his family, friends, and teammates. 940080[/snapback] Very sad news. Whats also sad about this is that lineman need to be over 300 pounds now because that is where everyone else is at. This is not a healthy weight for these guys but thats what the coaches/GMs want. I don't know who this is ever going to change though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Randall Posted August 21, 2005 Share Posted August 21, 2005 I read last week that the size of the average HS lineman is bigger than the average lineman of the 17-0 Miami Dolphins team. The ESPN sports columnists are talking about this right now. Sounds like he weighed more like 350 last year and probably needed to get down to a lower weight this year. What a tragedy. My sympathies to his family, friends, and teammates. 940080[/snapback] I heard he was down to about 310 but they finished a 14 play drive and that could have done him in. It's too early to tell the reason for this. The Vikings have been using pills that monitor core body temps. Maybe more teams will use such things if it is heat stroke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kid Cid Posted August 22, 2005 Share Posted August 22, 2005 A sad day for the entire football community. R.I.P. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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