The football coach at Rockwall-Heath High School in Texas has been placed on leave after parents claimed an intense preseason workout caused several players to be hospitalized.
The school, located about 25 miles northeast of Dallas, sent a letter to all students and parents Tuesday acknowledging claims that some players ‘needed medical attention, and in some cases, hospitalization,’ following the Jan. 6 workout.
Coach John Harrell allegedly made players do 300 to 400 push-ups over a 60-minute period without any water breaks. At least one parent told the Dallas Morning News that her son was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis, a stress-induced muscle disorder that can cause kidney damage.
Harrell did not respond to the newspaper’s request for comment. In addition to placing Harrell on leave, the school district has retained a third party to conduct an independent investigation.
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Meanwhile, at least one player has publicly come to his coach’s defense.
‘Heath football, it’s a brotherhood … these coaches have treated me with so much respect and have treated me like their son,’ junior captain Brady Luff told WFAA-TV in Dallas.
Luff said the activity last Friday ‘wasn’t any different than any workout we’ve done before, intensity-wise.’ He also denied claims that players weren’t able to take any water breaks.
In the school’s letter to parents, the campus athletic trainer advised anyone reporting symptoms such as sharp arm pain, limited movement or dark urine to report them immediately. Those symptoms are consistent with a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis.
The Morning News cites two other nationally reported incidents involving college football players displaying symptoms of rhabdomyolysis after intense workouts: In 2011, 13 players from the University of Iowa were hospitalized, and in 2017 Oregon suspended its strength and conditioning coach after three players were sent to the hospital.
Harrell is in his second season as head coach after serving as an assistant the previous three years. The team finished 7-5 last season and lost in the second round of the regional playoffs.