In a stunning press conference on Tuesday afternoon, the president of the University of Maryland’s flagship campus said the school accepts “accepts legal and moral responsibility for the mistakes that our training staff made on the fateful workout day of May 29,” mistakes which led directly to the death of Jordan McNair, a 19-year-old offensive lineman on Maryland’s football team.
During a team workout on May 29, McNair suffered exertional heatstroke. He died 15 days later.
At the press conference, Loh and Athletic Director Damon Evans admitted that the team’s athletic trainers did not properly treat McNair. Evans said that McNair “did not receive appropriate medical care” that day, “and mistakes were made by some of our athletic training personnel.”
Before the press conference, Loh and Evans met privately with McNair’s family. During his public remarks, Loh said that even though the university hasn’t completed a full investigation into the incident, he told the family, “The university owes you an apology. You entrusted Jordan to our care and he is never returning home again.”
After McNair’s collapse, the Terrapin training staff failed to take his temperature, diagnose him with heat stroke, or give him cold-water immersion treatment. If they had followed these standard procedures, it’s very likely McNair would still be alive today.
“Some of the actions of our athletic training staff — not the coaching staff — our athletic training staff, they basically misdiagnosed the situation.” Loh said. “No vital signs were taken, other safeguard actions that should have been taken were not. For me, that was enough to say, I need to come and personally apologize.”
Maryland AD Damon Evans: "we misdiagnosed" Jordan McNair's heatstroke. Wow. Rarely does a large institution or its leadership bluntly say the truth: we are at fault. This is in part because attorneys & PR experts tend to discourage that kind of candor. Other voices won out here.
— Michael McCann (@McCannSportsLaw) August 14, 2018
McNair’s death triggered a close examination of the Maryland football program. ESPN published an investigation last week that revealed a toxic culture of bullying and abuse within the Maryland football program at large. The head coach, DJ Durkin, was placed on administrative leave on Sunday, pending an investigation.
Rick Court, the strength and conditioning coach, announced his resignation on Sunday, a day after he, too, was placed on paid administrative leave. According to ESPN, Court was known for throwing objects and small weights at players when he was angry. He ran the practice where McNair suffered heat stroke.
A complete, formal report into McNair’s death is expected to be released on September 15. The university is funding the investigation.
“We will do everything within our power to ensure that no University of Maryland student-athlete is ever again put in a situation where his or her safety and life are at foreseeable risk,” Loh said.