GAINESVILLE, Fla. -- Incoming Florida freshman Eraste Autin
died of complications related to heat stroke July 25, six days
after collapsing and falling into a coma following a workout with
teammates.
Autin fell unconscious just outside Florida Field last Thursday
while jogging back to the locker room after one of the football
team's voluntary summer conditioning sessions.
Friends of the family said he had a major heart attack, that his
fever rose to 108 degrees, and that he slipped into a coma soon
after he was taken to Shands Hospital.
"This is by far the saddest day ever for me as a coach and for
our Gator teams as we have lost a wonderful, outstanding young
man," Florida coach Steve Spurrier said in a statement.
At the family's urging, Spurrier went to Orlando for a
previously scheduled engagement at a Gators booster rally, and did
not attend a news conference to discuss the death.
Athletic director Jeremy Foley spoke instead, a few hours after
seeing Autin's family off at the Gainesville airport, where they
caught a plane home to Lafayette, La.
"It's human nature to ask why," Foley said. "Why this young
man? Why now? Why this? That's human nature, and those are the kind
of things that keep you up at night."
Funeral arrangements had not been made as of Wednesday evening.
Autin is the second player in the state to die during an
offseason workout.
In February, Florida State linebacker Devaughn Darling collapsed
and died after a voluntary workout. Team physician Tom Haney said
"cardiac arrhythmia" was the most likely reason for Darling's
death. Teammates said Darling complained of chest pains during the
fatal workout.
Foley said he called Florida State athletic director Dave Hart
on Wednesday.
"He'd been through it," Foley said. "They were terrific
tragedies on both campuses. He had some insight. But insight,
advice -- it doesn't change what happened."
"The death of a young person is always a tragedy," Florida
State coach Bobby Bowden said in a statement. "While our thoughts
and prayers are with his family, we know firsthand how difficult it
will be on his teammates at Florida as well as the coaching and
support staff. I want them to know our thoughts and prayers are
with them also."
Autin is the 18th high school or college football player since
1995 to die from heat stroke, Dr. Fred Mueller of the University of
North Carolina's sports medicine department said.
Unlike Darling, Autin didn't complain of any pain and showed
"no signs of visible distress," according to Florida officials,
who talked to players and staff present at the workouts.
"It was a hot day, and he's the hardest worker out of all of
us," roommate and fellow freshman football player Lance Butler
said this week.
Well aware that their program would be under scrutiny, Florida
officials made available copies of the offseason workout regimen,
and a long list of information regarding Autin's football
activities this summer.
Foley said Autin passed a physical that all incoming freshman
who enrolled in summer classes had to take July 2.
He collapsed after his 10th workout of the summer, all of which
are overseen by athletic trainers and strength coaches, as is
allowed by NCAA rules.
It was 88 degrees with 72 percent humidity -- normal summertime
weather for Florida -- the afternoon Autin collapsed.
Water is readily available at several workout stations, and
players are constantly reminded to replenish fluids.
Foley said Florida's offseason workout regimen will be reviewed
because of the tragedy. But he refused to blame the conditioning
program -- which is very much like programs all around the country --
for Autin's death.
"Yeah, you evaluate," Foley said. "Of course you're going to
do those things. But I have not identified anything we would have
done differently in this situation."
Much like the NFL, voluntary workouts at the elite college level
are voluntary in name only.
At Florida, most incoming freshmen enroll in summer school, go
to class in the mornings and use the afternoon workout sessions to
get a taste of what they'll face when practice starts with
upperclassmen in August. The final freshman workout of this year is
scheduled for Thursday.
"Some take it more seriously than others, but in my experience
in my 10 years as athletic director, those workout programs are
pretty serious to athletes because they want to achieve," Foley
said. "That's the type of individuals they are. That's why they
excel at a place like University of Florida, because they take it
seriously."
A 6-foot-2, 250-pound fullback, Autin was widely considered one
of the country's top high school players at his position last
season. He was expected to challenge for a starting spot for the
Gators this year. Autin rushed for 700 yards and scored 12
touchdowns last season at St. Thomas More High in Lafayette.
Spurrier quoted Autin's freshman teammate Todd McCullough as
saying Autin "was the most well-rounded 18-year-old he'd ever
known."
This is the second tragedy to hit Florida in a little more than
three years.
James McGriff, a prized recruit from Melbourne Palm Bay, drowned
in April 1998 during "Senior Skip Day." A strong riptide pulled
McGriff out to sea off Indialantic Beach. His body was found the
next day.
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