Northwestern University Athletics
Wheeler's Parents Promise to Keep Son's Legacy Alive
8/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Football
Aug 7, 2001
By NANCY ARMOUR
AP Sports Writer
EVANSTON, Ill. (AP) - When Northwestern traveled to Hawaii three years ago, Rashidi Wheeler's teammates couldn't help but laugh at him.
The safety wanted to go out with this group of players. But he wanted to go with that group of players, too. And all those guys going somewhere else? He wanted to find a way to hang out with them, too.
"Nothing could be done without Rashidi," senior receiver Sam Simmons said Monday, smiling at the memory. "We were there for a limited time, and he was trying to do everything he could to be with everybody and go everywhere and have a great time."
Added linebacker Kevin Bentley, "He lived life to the fullest. He always brought laughter and joy when he was in our presence."
These are somber days at Northwestern, as the Wildcats and Wheeler's family struggle to understand how someone so full of life and energy could be dead at 22. Wheeler, a chronic asthmatic, died Friday after having an asthma attack during a conditioning drill.
His death came just two days after Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died of heatstroke following an intense practice in stifling heat. A week earlier, University of Florida freshman Eraste Autin died after collapsing of heatstroke.
A memorial service for Wheeler was scheduled Tuesday at the Alice Millar Religious Center on campus. A private funeral will be held Friday in California.
"You really can't seek an explanation. Everything happens for a reason," linebacker Napoleon Harris said. "I think it's just something a higher power had control over on that day. I don't think there's anything you can do about it."
But Wheeler's parents promised to try. George Wheeler and Linda Will said they will work with Northwestern to see if there are additional safety measures that could have saved their son's life.
Northwestern has already said it plans a full evaluation of Wheeler's death as well as the team's conditioning policies.
"The Northwestern family is going to remain a family. My son was and will be a Wildcat forever," Will said, fighting to keep her voice steady. "They have assured us that a tragedy of this magnitude will never happen again."
The Wildcats were doing a conditioning drill Friday that called for 24 sprints of various lengths and recovery times. A week earlier, Wheeler had done a test of the drill without any problems.
But with four sprints to go, he had trouble breathing and collapsed. Though he used an inhaler, he could never catch his breath and eventually stopped breathing. The training staff and paramedics tried to resuscitate, but Wheeler didn't respond. He died about an hour later at Evanston Hospital.
Bronchial asthma was the preliminary cause of death, a final report could take more than two months.
"I don't know ... that some specific procedure was wanting or lacking," said Henry Bienen, the university president. "I would like to think, and I do believe, it's foremost to protect the health of Northwestern students."
Athletic director Rick Taylor planned to speak Tuesday to Dr. Brian Smith, the team physician at North Carolina and chairman of the NCAA's medical safeguards committee.
"This is the start of a pledge to work with the Wheelers to try and raise awareness," Taylor said. "If there's any good to come of this, maybe it's a raised consciousness."
The Wildcats also will honor Wheeler by having Bentley wear his No. 30 jersey this year. Bentley and Wheeler were both California natives, and the two had been close since they arrived at Northwestern.
They were roommates, and it was Bentley who called Will on Friday to tell her that her son was dead.
"I'm going to change my number to honor him," Bentley said as Will put her arm around his shoulder. "And to let him know that he's always going to be with us, this year and forever. So he can go out the way he should."
