Six and a half months ago, the world of Maryland football was rocked by the death of offensive lineman Jordan McNair. The 19-year-old redshirt freshman had a promising career and a full life ahead of him. On June 13, two parents lost a son, and Maryland football lost a family member.
Shock and heartbreak are the immediate reactions to any such tragedy. But the circumstances of this death—McNair suffered heatstroke at an organized team workout on May 29, and heatstroke is only fatal if treated improperly—left the possibility that things would take an ugly turn. That’s exactly what happened.