A Texas high school varsity football coach named John Harrell has been suspended after an offseason workout that allegedly required athletes to do nearly 400 pushups left multiple players hospitalized.
Now, Rockwall-Heath is “retaining an independent third party” to determine exactly what occurred.
Principal Todd Bradford addressed a letter to parents on Tuesday explaining that the school will potentially take actions beyond the independent investigation and coach Harrell’s administrative leave.
The letter said that the event occurred on Friday, Jan 6., but did not come to the school’s attention until three days later. It also warned parents to look out for symptoms such as inability to bend or extend arms, sharp arm pain and dark urine.
JUST IN: Rockwall-Heath’s varsity football coach, John Harrell, is now on administrative leave pending a third-party investigation after several students needed medical attention/hospitalization after an offseason workout last Friday.
— Matt Howerton (@HowertonNews) January 10, 2023
This letter 👇🏻 was sent to parents today. pic.twitter.com/nL28qdGOZn
A parent, who reportedly didn't want to be identified because of fear of retaliation, told WFAA that her son was hospitalized and diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis. The stress-induced muscle disorder can damage cells, cause kidney damage and even failure in severe cases.
That parent claimed that her son was forced to do 300 to 400 push-ups, while another told Fox 4 it was 300 during an hour with no break or water.
Similar incidents at the collegiate level
In 2011, University Iowa had 13 football players hospitalized with the same disorder during offseason workouts. The university reached a settlement of $15,000 with one of those players.
In 2017, three University of Oregon players were hospitalized after a workout a required some players to do push-ups, squats, sit-ups and a "plank" for up to an hour. Offensive lineman Doug Brenner was confirmed to have rhabdomyolysis and Oregon suspended its then new football strength and conditioning coach without pay for a month.
In 2022, Brenner sued the NCAA for $100 million, claiming the condition caused permanent damage to his kidneys and reduced his life expectancy by about 10 years. Brenner lost the lawsuit, but reached a $500,000 settlement with Oregon.
Most recently, five basketball players at Concordia University Chicago were sent to the hospital after "intense" circuit training on Dec. 31. Coach Steve Kollar was reportedly "temporarily removed" after the workout.
