Jordan McNair, Heat Stroke and Eating Disorders

Upon selecting the University of Maryland to further his football career, Jordan McNair’s future was incredibly bright. He was a 4-star recruit according to 247Sports ESPN and Scout. He was ranked in the top-25 nationally at his position by ESPN and Scout. He was the 6th-ranked player in the state of Maryland by ESPN and 247sports.com. He was a 2016 American Family Insurance ALL-USA Maryland Football Team, 2016 First Team Baltimore Sun All-Metro, 2015 Consensus Maryland All-State, First Team Baltimore Sun All-Metro and First Team All-MIAA.

He helped lead his high school to an 8-3 record as a senior … and before choosing Maryland, was also considering Ohio State, Auburn, Penn State and Rutgers.

And now … Jordan McNair is dead.

Jordan McNair collapsed at a University of Maryland football practice on May 29, 2018. After undergoing various treatments while hospitalized including a liver transplant, Jordan McNair passed away on June 13, 2018.

Published reports indicate that the state medical examiner did not conduct an autopsy. This would mean, among other things, that medical professionals likely agreed on the cause of death and that the cause was not considered suspicious. However, a lack of autopsy also means that a forensic pathologist did not examine the organs in young Mr. McNair’s body, a point that could become legally relevant when litigation is filed over who was responsible for McNair’s death.

As a true freshman, Jordan McNair’s official bio stated that he appeared in two games but is listed as a redshirt freshman heading into the 2018 season. His future was bright. His future was ahead of him. If he developed and the NFL became his future, riches and fame awaited him.

And now, 19 year old Jordan McNair is dead. Nothing can bring him back. And from now, until their last day, Jordan McNair’s parents will be left with this unimaginable, monstrous hole in their hearts that they must carry around as a daily burden… grinding them down, taking away joy and leaving them in a horrible state of emotional limbo.

Even though no autopsy was conducted on Jordan McNair, media outlets attribute his demise to heat stroke. But… that is not the end of the story.  

We know that common symptoms of heat stroke include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma. Other symptoms may include: throbbing headache, dizziness and light-headedness, muscle weakness or cramps, nausea and vomiting.

And with those symptoms, and without the findings and medical conclusions iof an autopsy, we conclude that death is attributed to heat stroke. A tragic and preventable death. But, is there more to this story?

 According to the ESPN report:

Current and former players also described several incidents where staff members targeted players because of weight issues. Sources said a former offensive lineman whom the staff deemed overweight was forced to watch workouts while eating candy bars as a form of humiliation.

Another former Terrapins player said his inability to gain weight resulted in members of the strength and conditioning staff sitting with him at meals to make sure he ate.

"They were trying to make me gain weight really, really fast," said the player, who left the program. "That involved me overeating a lot, sometimes eating until I threw up. They always had me come back for extra meals. Once, I was sitting down eating with a coach, and he basically made me sit there until I threw up. He said to eat until I threw up. I was doing what they asked me to do, trying to gain the weight, but at the time, I just couldn't gain the weight, and I guess they weren't understanding that."

Now, consult the DSM-V. The type of forced behavior just described, especially if repeated is textbook bulimia nervosa. And the possible side effects of bulimia include:

Severe electrolyte imbalance.

Chronic dehydration, which is not uncommon with bulimia, can cause critical health issues.

Low potassium levels in the blood can cause heart arrhythmia or cardiomyopathy. 

Calcium levels are reduced which weakens the bones. Low magnesium levels could result in dizziness, fatigue, seizures, muscle cramps, irregular heartbeat.

When a person’s sodium level is off, cells can become dehydrated which could manifest itself in muscle cramps, headaches, seizures, intracranial hemorrhage and yes, death.

If the ESPN story is remotely accurate on this issue and if Jordan McNair was one of the athletes targeted because of his weight, that treatment increases the likelihood of these tragedies being repeated. Why? Because that type of bulimic and binge eating behavior detrimentally impacts the chemical balance in a person’s blood, weakens their immune system and leaves them vulnerable for this type of catastrophe.

Now, go back and compare the symptoms of bulimia, binge eating disorder and heat stroke. The symptoms are the same.

Then consider that eating disorders amongst college athletes are on the rise. Studies have shown that 25% of female college athletes and 20% of male athletes have a diagnosed eating disorder. Proper nutrition is essential for an athlete at the college level. When a body is not properly nourished, the body functioning is at risk for injury and health issues due to the sports exercise requirements.

Was Jordan McNair subjected to the above-mentioned reprehensible conduct? For that matter, if you questioned the number of Division 1 head football coaches and trainers as to their knowledge of eating disorders and the manner in which those diseases impact the body, in all reasonable likelihood the number of intelligent answers you would receive would be the same number as those you receive from a dead man … that would be ZERO.

Jordan McNair is dead.

His mommy and daddy will have to live with that reality. And no one will ever question whether abusive training methods and lack of knowledge of eating disorders and food intake contributed to his tragic death.

More is the pity.