As NFL teams continue through the early days of training camp, August 1 provides an annual reminder of the risks of intense football practice in high temperatures and humidity.
Twenty-five years ago today, Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died from complications of heatstroke in the hours after practicing in extreme heat.
After struggling in warm temperatures on July 30, Stringer was one of six players who emerged from a 90-degree July 31 session with some form of heat-related illness. For Stringer, the situation spiraled out of control, culminating in his passing in the early hours of the next day.
Stringer’s death provided a reckoning for football at all levels, creating fresh sensitivity to the issues that can arise when players in full pads are exerting themselves under hothouse conditions.
Five years ago, Kevin Seifert of ESPN took a close look at the adjustments Stringer’s passing prompted. The culture changed. Teams moved practices away from the hottest hours of the day. Trainers and doctors became more sensitive to spotting and treating the signs of heatstroke.
In 2011, the Collective Bargaining Agreement made training camp less demanding than it used to be, with the days of double sessions in full pads gone for good. Still, teams are far more sensitive to spotting potential trouble from practicing in the heat, with efforts to ensure good hydration of players and to ensure that quick action is taken if any player seems to be having an issue.
Stringer’s former teammate, Todd Steussie, had left the Vikings for the Panthers in free agency. Steussie was still haunted by the incident when he spoke to Seifert in 2021.
“If you throw him in an ice tub, Korey is alive today,” Steussie said at the time. “It’s that simple, and that makes it so hard to think about.”
While it often takes a tragedy to fully open eyes about the extent of a given risk, the best outcome is to spot the issues and come up with a plan before the worst-case scenario unfolds. Most people, however, don’t fully appreciate the risk until there’s a tangible example that sends an unmistakable message.
Be proactive, not reactive. It’s always the ideal approach. And that’s the best culture change for any organization — a willingness to make changes before the need for change becomes obvious after a tragedy.