Tulane offensive lineman Hunter Knighton almost became a statistic on Feb. 24, 2014.
The 6-foot-5, 300-pound freshman, then at the University of Miami, felt ill that morning and vomited on the way to an outdoor football practice. Flu-like symptoms contributed to dehydration, but Knighton attempted to push through the workout before disaster struck.
A weakened immune system caused his body temperature to hit 109 degrees, and he collapsed on the field from a life-threatening exertional heat stroke (EHS).
Knighton, whose internal organs were shutting down, was rushed to the hospital, where he spent 12 days in a medically-induced coma and eventually lost 55 pounds in his sleep.