On August 1, 2001, Minnesota Vikings Pro Bowl offensive tackle Korey Stringer passed away from heat exhaustion. Marking the 20th anniversary of this tragedy, we look back at the impact his death had on the football community.
Imagine the struggle Stringer’s family suddenly had to deal with and how the day’s unfortunate events immediately altered the NFL forever after. With nearly 3,000 players entering training camp right now around the league, it’s not difficult to feel the excitement in the air. Lives will change as players attempt to establish their footing in the career they’ve worked so tirelessly at for so many years.
Korey Stringer’s sudden death shocked the world
For Korey Stringer and his family, that same feeling of jubilation was prevalent. In 2000, the Minnesota Vikings went 11-5, it’s not hard to imagine the pressure was on to improve the year after. Not only that, last season’s left tackle, Todd Steussie, left the team in free agency. Stringer was expected to make the switch from right to left tackle, a position with more pressure and higher expectations.
But none of what happened afterward could have been predicted. Sure, the Vikings didn’t have a strong season in 2001 after Big K passed. How could they? A core member of their family had just passed away doing the very thing that brought everyone together. Winning some football games at the time seemed trivial when a member of the team couldn’t be there to enjoy it.
However, Stringer’s death could have been prevented. While vomiting is a sign of exhaustion, players mentioned this was nothing out of the ordinary for summer practices in the sweltering heat. Nobody thought what Big K was immediately experiencing was life-threatening, it was just football. Moreso, Stringer should have been aggressively cooled down on site, but that wasn’t widely known at the time, nor did they have the equipment.
Stringer was in the best shape of his career
Stringer mentioned earlier in training camp being in the best shape of his career. Listed at 335 pounds when he passed, it was his lowest reported playing weight in the pros.
After Stringer passed, the NFL rightfully changed rules to prevent such a disaster from ever happening again. Unfortunately, it took a tragedy for many to realize the conditions which players practiced under desperately needed to be addressed.
Now, all teams are required to have the team doctor and trainers on the sidelines. Aside from rule changes, medical technology has come a long way in the past 20 years to help keep player temperatures down, while measuring their hydration levels. Teams also frequently practice inside and adjust the timing of their drills to avoid the hottest times of the day. While these changes are great and much-needed, they were too late to help Korey Stringer.
Legacy lives on through Korey Stringer Institute
As you can imagine, the news hit Stringer’s family hard. Stringer and his wife had a three-year-old son at the time. Here Korey was pouring every last bit of his blood and sweat into his profession, yet his employer let him down when it comes to protecting his wellbeing. Even Minnesota’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the matter.
While the league has since made major rule changes, no matter what anyone did, they couldn’t bring Korey Stringer back.
The Vikings retired Stringer’s #77 jersey and inducted him into their Ring of Honor in 2001. His wife worked with the NFL and Gatorade to create the Korey Stringer Institute in 2010. Their mission statement reads “The mission of the Korey Stringer Institute is to provide research, education, advocacy and consultation to maximize performance, optimize safety and prevent sudden death for the athlete, warfighter and laborer.”
Stringer was the type of person who would pull over to help someone change their flat tire, as he once did after a Vikings game. Reportedly the most-liked player within the Vikings’ locker room, it’s a shame Stringer was taken from this world so soon.
The death of Korey Stringer was a heartbreaking lesson to learn. Thanks to the Korey Stringer Institute, more athletes are avoiding the risk of suffering the same fate each year. As football returns with so much heat and humidity in the air, it’s hard not to think of Stringer and his family, even 20 years later. Rest in peace to Korey Stringer, a man who was so much more than just #77.
