Missouri player dies after voluntary workout

By Alex Guzman  |   Thursday, July 28, 2005  |  Comments( 0 )

College Football
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

Missouri football player Aaron O'Neal died after collapsing at the end of a preseason workout. The 6 foot 3 inch, 220 pound backup middle linebacker started to struggle in conditioning drills about 45 minutes into the July 12 session, where players wore shorts, T-shirts and football cleats but no helmets or pads. Questions have since arised because he wasn't immediately taken to the hospital across the street but was instead driven to the team offices, according to a university police report.

O'Neal was unconscious when he arrived at the Tom Taylor Building, assistant athletic trainer Alfred Castillo told university police. It was not clear when the player became unconscious. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 4:05 pm, just over 90 minutes after the workout ended.

O'Neal was taken there rather than the nearby hospital "so that O'Neal could be seen by staff members," wrote campus police officer Clayton Henke. The 19 year-old was "in full cardiac arrest" by the time Henke and University Hospital paramedics arrived at the Taylor building.

"He was brought to our door in the back of a pickup from afternoon workouts," athletic trainer Greg Nagel told emergency dispatchers in a 911 call from the Taylor building. "We need someone here in a hurry."

Fifteen minutes after Nagel's call to 911, Henke was sent to the scene at 3:24 pm, nearly one hour after the conclusion of the hourlong voluntary workout.
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Alex Guzman

MiamiFootball365 & RealFootball365 ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report