Missouri player dies during workouts

[vatz22au 142]

Posted by Kevin Donahue

July 13, 2005

Missouri player dies during workouts

Missouri Tigers redshirt freshman linebacker Aaron O'Neal collapsed during a voluntary workout and was pronounced dead at University Hospital.

O'Neal, a 19-year-old Creve Coeur native and graduate of Parkway North High School, started to struggle with conditioning drills about 45 minutes into the hour-long workout that was held on a day with temperatures in the mid-80s.

At the end of the workout, O'Neal lay on the turf as Ivey talked to the remaining players. Darren Meade, a junior walk-on, helped O'Neal off the field as the other players left the workout.

I have to give a huge thumbs down to the Columbia Daily Tribune for running a photo of O'Neal collapsed on the turf.

Posted by Kevin Donahue

article here

[Aubie7 0]

He is still alive, in the picture. It could have been left off, however.

[weaglewagon 1]

OUCH. that's messed up yo. if i were the family, i'd be pissed.

[SouthLink02 8]

God Bless his family

[gabe_96 0]

if ya'll clicked on the link and looked at the picture like i did then you don't have much right to criticize the people who posted it...

On another notethe ncaa keeps getting paid for the work and sacrifice of kids like this...how much good did the "free" education do this kid...I wonder if he had a summer job that he was doing ina ddition to the summer workouts...might have caused him to be at practice a little less rested and hydrated than he would have otherwise been...just speculation on my part though...some horrible deaths are just a sad fact.

[autigeremt 6,715]

Just a bad, bad situation all together. I emailed the Missouri Athletic Department in behalf of the AU nation to let them know that they are in our thoughts and prayers.

Man on man

[vatz22au 142]

if ya'll clicked on the link and looked at the picture like i did then you don't have much right to criticize the people who posted it...

168929[/snapback]

I just wouldnt like it if a picture of my son dying on the ground was posted for everyone to see. It probably wouldnt bother some people, but it would bother me.

[tgr4lfe 220]

if ya'll clicked on the link and looked at the picture like i did then you don't have much right to criticize the people who posted it...

168929[/snapback]

I just wouldnt like it if a picture of my son dying on the ground was posted for everyone to see. It probably wouldnt bother some people, but it would bother me.

168940[/snapback]

I agree vatz. I e-mailed the editor about my disgust. I hope the people in Missouri will 'boycott' the paper for a while. Tat is horrible and tasteless.

[gabe_96 0]

if ya'll clicked on the link and looked at the picture like i did then you don't have much right to criticize the people who posted it...

168929[/snapback]

I just wouldnt like it if a picture of my son dying on the ground was posted for everyone to see. It probably wouldnt bother some people, but it would bother me.

168940[/snapback]

Ok well i know the family vatz and the dad said he really appreciated you posting the link to the picture all over the internet. so a big thank you.

[vatz22au 142]

if ya'll clicked on the link and looked at the picture like i did then you don't have much right to criticize the people who posted it...

168929[/snapback]

I just wouldnt like it if a picture of my son dying on the ground was posted for everyone to see. It probably wouldnt bother some people, but it would bother me.

168940[/snapback]

Ok well i know the family vatz and the dad said he really appreciated you posting the link to the picture all over the internet. so a big thank you.

168948[/snapback]

It was already posted on the internet....and your welcome...I think...

If your thinking I posted the link just so everyone could see the picture...your clearly wrong. I posted the link to the article....which about everyone on this board includes when posting an article.

Besides....clicking that link doesnt show you the picture anyways...

[passthebiscuits 6,873]

FYI--

The most common cause of sudden death in a young man such as this is called idiopathic cardiomyopathy, or enlarged heart. When you see a terrible event like this one or on a basketball court, it is overwhelmingly most likely due to cardiomyopathy and couldn't really be prevented or suspected. (ie dehydration) It's just terrible.

[vatz22au 142]

FYI--

The most common cause of sudden death in a young man such as this is called idiopathic cardiomyopathy, or enlarged heart.  When you see a terrible event like this one or on a basketball court, it is overwhelmingly most likely due to cardiomyopathy and couldn't really be prevented or suspected.  (ie dehydration) It's just terrible.

168958[/snapback]

Is it detectable? I know when I played HS football...I would always kind of shiver everytime I read of another player who died because of an enlarged heart.... It seems like these kids dont even know they have that condition so its very scary!

[passthebiscuits 6,873]

Well--

It CAN be detected with an MRI, and sometimes(rarely) a reading on an EKG can SUSPECT enlarged heart...but like you said, when athletes try out for football and other activities, they don't get either one of these things...so no, there's not much you can do to detect them. One should always be wary if the young man is extremely tall with lanky features, as this could sugest something called Marfan's syndrome which has a much higher risk of sudden cardiac death.

I should add that of course some extreme dehydration issues like taking excess amounts of Andro., Creatine, and weight loss supplements (with added caffeine), as well as 'garbage bagging' which has become popular in some youth to lose weight for competitions can significantly add to the risk.