WESTMINSTER, Md. -- A half-hour before the scheduled end of
practice Wednesday morning, Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick
gathered his team at midfield.
The players dropped to one knee, bowed their heads and paid
homage to Korey Stringer, the Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl tackle who
died Wednesday of heat exhaustion after collapsing at a practice
one day earlier.
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Do we have a conscious eye to make sure that our players stay fresh and healthy? Yes. Does that mean I take it easy on them, or try to ingratiate myself to them? That couldn't be further from the truth. ” |
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— Ravens coach Brian Billick |
"We lost one of our own," Billick said later. "And when I say
one of our own, I mean one of the NFL family."
A number of other teams around the league also held moments of
silence in memory of Stringer.
Billick, the Vikings' offensive coordinator from 1992 to 1998,
worked closely with Stringer, a right tackle drafted in the first
round by Minnesota in 1995.
"Korey was one of God's gentle people," Billick said. "It's
always a tragedy when you lose somebody young like that. We just
wanted to pay our respects."
Stringer, 27, vomited at least three times at Tuesday morning's
practice but didn't summon a trainer until the session had ended.
The 335-pound offensive lineman developed symptoms of heat stroke
and was unconscious upon his arrival at the hospital.
"He was one of my better friends on the team," said Ravens
backup quarterback Randall Cunningham, who played with the Vikings
from 1997-98. "We would eat together, spend a lot of quality time
together. We really got to know each other.
"This thing really affected me today."
Billick, like most NFL coaches, holds two-a-day practices during
training camp. But he runs each session at a rapid pace, and his
first priority is keeping the players fresh.
"You don't want to wear your guys out. But I don't like when
people refer to this as an easy camp," Billick said. "Do we have
a conscious eye to make sure that our players stay fresh and
healthy? Yes. Does that mean I take it easy on them, or try to
ingratiate myself to them? That couldn't be further from the
truth."
The Ravens have been blessed with unseasonably pleasant weather
during their first week of training camp, which has been a boon for
the players and a mixed blessing for their coach.
"You need the heat to get into condition," Billick said.
"We've kind of had a break here, but you know the hot weather is
coming. When it gets hot and humid, you have big guys who can lose
20 to 30 pounds in a single day, and that's all dehydration."
After being removed from the practice field on a cart Monday,
Stringer waved away trainers during Tuesday's session.
"The old school, way back when I was playing, (dictated) that
tough guys don't drink water," Billick said. "Yeah, it was good
and tough, but it extremely stupid. We've since learned that,
obviously."
The Ravens warn their players to drink during practice and tell
someone -- anyone -- if the heat becomes overwhelming.
"We try to tell the players to stay in condition, start early,
stay hydrated and let the coaches and trainers know what's going
on," Ravens head trainer Bill Tessendorf said. "That's most
important. There's a time to be tough and a time to be smart or an
athlete can suffer a significant illness."
Pro football training camp is about big men playing a physical
game in heavy equipment in intense heat and stifling humidity.
Sadly, Korey Stringer was a victim of those circumstances.
"It's unexpected. When the good Lord brings you home, there's
nothing you can do about it," Ravens offensive tackle Leon Searcy
said. "It's just unfortunate that a young brother like Korey had
to go so soon."
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