Posted on 09/07/2005 6:19:48 AM PDT by A.A. Cunningham
Herrion death tied to heart disease
Coroner says 49ers guard had blockage of a coronary artery
By Jeff Legwold, Rocky Mountain News
September 7, 2005
San Francisco 49ers guard Thomas Herrion, who collapsed after a preseason game Aug. 20 in Denver, died of heart disease.
A Denver coroner said Tuesday that Herrion, 23, suffered from ischemic heart disease and had what was termed as "significant" blockage in his right coronary artery. When the heart or other organs don't receive a sufficient blood supply, it is referred to as ischemia.
The blockage led to the death of the heart muscle, the coroner said. Investigators also found Herrion's heart was slightly enlarged.
"To see this kind of heart disease in someone this age is not common, but it usually means there are certain risk factors that allow the plaque to build up in the arteries much earlier than in some others," said Dr. Amy Martin, who performed the autopsy. "Heredity can play a large role in that."
Herrion's agent, Fred Lyles, repeatedly has said Herrion had "no medical problems" he was aware of. Lyles also pointed out Herrion had undergone at least six physicals in the past two years while with the Dallas Cowboys and in NFL Europe.
However, heart disease often is referred to as "the silent killer" because often no outward symptoms appear in those who suffer from it. Since Herrion's death, some family members publicly have said his parents had a history of heart troubles.
Deputy coroner Michelle Weiss-Samaras said Tuesday a full autopsy report likely will be available later in the week.
Drug and toxicology tests on Herrion's blood found only atropine, a drug used for a slow heartbeat or when the heart has stopped, Martin said. Medical personnel used atropine on Herrion when they tried to revive him in the 49ers locker room at Invesco Field at Mile High.
Herrion collapsed just after the team had finished saying the Lord's Prayer. Players and others in the locker room said it initially looked as if Herrion was having a seizure.
He was pronounced dead at St. Anthony Central Hospital at 11:18 p.m. that day, after paramedics and doctors used CPR to try to revive him.
Herrion, who spent the last month of the 2004 season on the 49ers practice squad before trying to make the 53-player roster in training camp this summer, was on the field for San Francisco's final drive of the game.
He played the left guard position on a 14-play, 91-yard drive that ended with a San Francisco touchdown with 2 seconds remaining in a game Denver won 26-21.
Herrion showed no visible signs of trouble on the drive, but former Broncos defensive lineman Aaron Hunt said in the days after the game that Herrion had told him he was winded.
Hunt and Herrion were teammates in the spring with the Hamburg (Germany) Sea Dogs of NFL Europe.
Martin said it was unclear if Denver's altitude played a role in Herrion's death but added, "This was clearly not the first time he had trouble with his heart." She said there was scar tissue on the heart from previous damage.
Herrion was buried Aug. 27 in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas, and an estimated 1,000 people attended the funeral service. The 49ers conducted a memorial service Aug. 23 that was attended by about 500 people, including 49ers coaches and teammates and NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue.
Herrion died a little more than four years after Minnesota Vikings tackle Korey Stringer died of heatstroke during a training-camp practice in Mankato, Minn. Earlier this year, Al Lucas of the Los Angeles Avengers of the Arena Football League died of a spinal-cord injury he suffered while making a tackle during a game.
In 1979, St. Louis Cardinals tight end J.V. Cain died of a heart attack during training camp. And Chuck Hughes, a receiver for the Detroit Lions, died of a heart attack Oct. 24, 1972, during a game against the Chicago Bears.
Copyright 2005, Rocky Mountain News. All Rights Reserved.
I think it's already been demonstrated that these guys have a reduced lifespan. It's interesting to see how much weight that some of these guys lose once they retire.
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