Where Lived Truth Meets Public Power

Transcript:

In 2018, a hot, humid, preseason football practice at the University of Maryland resulted in tragedy. Nineteen-year-old offensive lineman Jordan McNair collapsed and later died as a result of heat stroke.

McNair: “This was the loss of our only son, and I could have went into a rabbit hole of depression and despair.”

But instead, Jordan’s father, Marty McNair, decided to turn his grief into action.

Shortly after Jordan died, McNair and his wife, Tonya Wilson, founded the Jordan McNair Foundation to help protect student athletes from heat-related illnesses and death. It’s a threat that’s growing ever more urgent as the climate warms.

They educate coaches and trainers to recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion and to act quickly to cool the person down.

They teach student athletes about the importance of advocating for themselves and speaking up when they do not feel well – before it becomes an emergency.

McNair: “Hey, you got to listen to your body. … If your body’s telling you to stop, stop. … You know, be willing and be brave enough to really speak up about that.”

And they teach parents to reinforce these lessons at home.

McNair: “And I think that’s really where you start at in regards to protecting your child or teaching your child to protect themselves.”

Reporting credit: Sarah Kennedy / ChavoBart Digital Media