August 3, 2001 - Rashidi Wheeler, 22, Northwestern Wildcats, SS:
Evanston, ILL. (AP) -- Northwestern safety Rashidi Wheeler died of bronchial asthma, the Cook County coroners office ruled Saturday.
No further details were given, but the 22-year-old, who had a history of asthma, was carrying an inhaler when he collapsed on the field at practice Friday. He died a short time later.
"I can't even really believe it's happened at this point," Wheeler's mother, Linda Will, said by telephone Friday night from her home in Ontario, Calif., breaking down as she spoke. "I don't even know how to deal with it."
Wheeler's death came two days after Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died of heat stroke following an intense practice in stifling heat. But Northwestern said initial medical reports indicated heat did not contribute to Wheeler's death.
Temperatures were only in the mid 20s, and some of Wheeler's Northwestern teammates said the conditions were the best they'd had in recent days.
"It wasn't overly hot or humid," quarterback Zak Kustok aid. "It was actually cooler than it has been."
Outside the Northwestern football stadium, university and U.S. flags were flying at half-staff.
Though Wheeler had asthma, it never kept him from participating in sports. A physical July 12 didn't show any other major problems, Northwestern trainer Tory Aggeler said.
And Wheeler had his inhaler with him during Friday's conditioning drills, which included running wind sprints on a field near Lake Michigan.
"Rashidi actually had his inhaler in his hands," Aggeler said. "That's something important -- that they have access to an inhaler in that situation."
Wheeler struggled to catch his breath as he left the field about 5 p.m., said Alan Berkowsky, spokesman for the Evanston Fire Department, which sent paramedics to the scene.
"It got harder and harder for him to catch his breath, and he collapsed," Berkowsky said. "When the trainer got up to him, he was still trying to catch his breath. He stopped breathing, and his pulse also stopped."
Even after he collapsed, Wheeler wanted to continue.
"As we were removing him from the field, he said, 'No, no,"' Aggeler said. "He was alert and we were administering to him in a situation that didn't appear at that time to be totally emergent."
But then Wheeler's condition took a turn for the worse. He did not respond to CPR from the coaching staff or paramedics. He died about an hour later at Evanston Hospital.
"I didn't want to believe it," said Dino Garcia, one of Wheeler's best friends from his home town of Ontario, Calif. "He had such a bright future ahead of him."
Wheeler, a 6-foot-2, 212-pound strong safety, started all 12 games last season as Northwestern won a share of the Big Ten title. His 88 tackles were third on the Wildcats, and he had a fumble recovery and three pass breakups.
He hoped to play in the NFL and then have a career in business, his mother said.
"He felt he was in tiptop shape," Will said Friday night as friends and family gathered at her house to comfort her. "This is difficult for me. I just talked to my son last night."
