JUDY WOODRUFF: In sports news, the death of a University of Maryland football player
earlier this summer has prompted a number of investigations. As Amna Nawaz explains,
much of the scrutiny has focused on what some have called a culture of abuse within the
school's football program.
AMNA NAWAZ, PBS NEWSHOUR CORRESPONDENT: In May, 19-year-old offensive lineman Jordan
McNair was hospitalized after he had trouble breathing and standing upright during practice.
He died two weeks later, his family says, of heatstroke. His death sent shockwaves
through the college football world and raised questions about how, and how quickly, the
coaching staff responded.
This afternoon, University of Maryland president Wallace Loh said that while the investigation
is still ongoing, mistakes were made in how Jordan was treated, and he pledged complete accountability.
I am joined by John Feinstein, a longtime
sports writer, and author of a number of a number of books on college athletics.
Thank you for being here.
JOHN FEINSTEIN, SPORTS WRITER AND AUTHOR:
My pleasure, Amna.
AMNA NAWAZ: So, we heard Wallace Loh earlier today say the buck stops with me, complete
accountability, we accept moral and legal responsibility here. What did you make of
that statement especially now before the investigation is even over?
JOHN FEINSTEIN: I found it remarkable that
Wallace Loh basically said that he had told the parents we are legally and morally responsible
for Jordan's death. There's going to be a lawsuit. I mean, they've already hired
a lawyer long ago on this.
Now, the question is, has Maryland agreed to settle very quietly and that's why he's
willing to publicly admit fault on behalf of the training staff? He made a point of
separating the training staff from the coaching staff, because he said he believes the head
coach, D.J. Durkin, is entitled to due process and has appointed a four-man commission to
investigate.
But the strength coach, Rick Court, who is at the middle of much of this, quote/unquote,
resigned today, clearly told he had to resign. He didn't get due process. Whether he deserves
it or not, he didn't get it. It's a very complicated case. Of course, the focus should
be on the tragedy of Jordan McNair's death.
AMNA NAWAZ: It is complicated indeed. And D.J. Durkin, the head coach remains on
administrative leave at the time. But I want to ask you about the other thing you
mentioned, the focus on the training staff here, because this young's man death it seems
was completely preventable.
The family lawyer believes it was from heat stroke.
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Right.
AMNA NAWAZ: Reports have said when he got
to the hospital, he had a body temperature of 106 degrees. Heat stroke is something
that’s sort of basic protocol, right? To bring the body temperature down, you put
them in cold immersion.
What does it say to you that the training staff didn't see it or didn’t need it quickly?
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Obviously, it's impossible
to know without being there exactly what occurred, but as you said, heat stroke is prevent -- death
by heat stroke is very preventable if you can get the body temperature down to 102 within
30 minutes, which is plenty of time if, as you said, they ice or do whatever is necessary.
Apparently, they didn't do that. It was
still 106 when he got to the hospital. More than an hour after the attack occurred, again
according to the records, 911 records. But that's why the training staff is clearly being
thrown under the bus frankly by Wallace Loh. They may deserve to be thrown under the bus,
but you wonder, because there were coaches present, including D.J. Durkin for this workout,
how in the world Maryland can eventually walk away from this with D.J. Durkin still
as the head coach.
AMNA NAWAZ: So, there's a lot of focus on the coaching staff, too, right?
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Right.
AMNA NAWAZ: And because of the scrutiny
from Jordan McNair's death, teammates have come forward and said, look, there is a culture
problem here. It's very toxic. There is a lot of verbal abuse, a lot of mockery, belittling
of players.
You cover a lot of college football. You've seen a lot of teams through the years.
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Yes.
AMNA NAWAZ: Was it excessive in some way
based on the reports you've seen? What's different about --
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Well, if the reports -- if
the ESPN report was true, and they were the ones who broke the story, then it was clearly
excessive, because there was emotional abuse, players who didn't perform were forced to
locker in the shower room. Players who were overweight were forced to eat candy bars in
front of their teammates as a way of humiliating them. Players were told they had to eat
until they threw up to put weight, and that kind of thing.
That’s over the line. Football is a very
macho sport. Players are pushed. They’re challenged, particularly by their strength
coach who they work with almost every day, even during the off season.
Usually, strength coaches are as close to
the players as anybody on the staff, but there is a line. There is a line between pushing
someone to do their best to get better to push themselves to the limit, and going over
the line. And the best coaches are the ones who know where the line is. It appears,
appears based on what we know, that there were coaches at Maryland who didn't see
that line and went over it.
And did that lead to Jordan McNair's death? Who knows? But it certainly is something
that has to be looked at.
AMNA NAWAZ: When you look at this big picture, you mentioned that line. I mean, I was a
college athlete myself. I know what it is to do --
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Right.
AMNA NAWAZ: -- three-a-days in extreme heat,
right, to have your strength coach riding you, coaches yelling at you, throwing stuff
at you. Where is that line? When you're pushing athletes the peak performance, how
do you know when you've got too far?
JOHN FEINSTEIN: Well, the best coaches understand that what you can take might be different
than what I can take. And each player is an individual. And his level or her level
is different emotionally and physically. They get to know the kids as I said very well
some.
So, you might be able to take something that I can't. But there are also coaches who
aren't as good at their jobs or as smart. And again, the macho mentality comes in, particularly
in football, where you're expected to play hurt.
There is a difference football players will
tell you between being injured and being hurt. If you're injured, you can't play. If you're
hurt, you're expected to play, trough pain and through broken bones often.
And that is where that macho mentality comes
in, and being able to understand that there are limits is a key to being successful as
a football coach. And the thing is, if you're a successful football coach, you can get away
with almost anything.
D.J. Durkin 10-15 in two years at Maryland. A player has died on his watch. I doubt
he'll survive.
AMNA NAWAZ: John Feinstein, thanks for your time.
JOHN FEINSTEIN: My pleasure, Amna. Tanks.
JUDY WOODRUFF: An important story to follow.
And that wraps it up for the NEWSHOUR tonight.