When is enough enough?
By Jeff Darlington and Alan Schmadtke | Sentinel Staff Writers
Posted July 27, 2001

GAINESVILLE -- A day after Eraste Autin died, the other members of his University of Florida's freshman class took to the practice field Thursday for the usual voluntary workouts. Same stretching. Same agility workouts. Same sprints.

Everything about Thursday's workout -- the final freshman workout of the summer -- matched up with that of the week before, when Autin collapsed. And while several teammates said they thought about Autin during the workout, there was never any doubt: Practice would go on.

"Eraste, this is what he would want. He wouldn't want the team to falter," freshman linebacker Todd McCullough said. "He was a born worker. For us to slack off would be an injustice."

Autin, 18, from Lafayette, La., died of complications related to heat stroke. At his parents' request, no autopsy was performed. His funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday in Lafayette at The Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist.

Dr. Frederick Mueller, chairman of the University of North Carolina Department of Exercise and Sports Science, said Autin is the 18th high school or college football player since 1995 to die from heat stroke.

During a typical voluntary freshman workout at UF, the gates of the practice field would be open, and trainers and players would be the only ones around. This Thursday was different. Ten reporters stood outside the gates, waiting for answers, waiting for reasons.

"We've been doing these for years," UF strength coach Rob Glass said. "We've got a lot of highly trained personnel out there. I feel very comfortable."

Thursday's workout consisted of a 10-minute warm-up, which included light mobility drills. The warmup was followed by five minutes of stretching, which then led into the first of four agility stations. Each station, lasting about five minutes each, focuses on a different strength and quickness. The 50-minute series ends with 15 minutes of sprints, known as gassers.

It was the same regimen as the previous week. So what went so horribly wrong last week?

"We've sat down and rehashed the thing," Glass said. "We've looked at everything that took place. We just went back, and we really just feel like, after talking with Eraste's father [who is a doctor], it was just one of those things that was just out of the blue. There wasn't anything that could have prevented it."

McCullough and Glass said Autin wasn't using any supplements, such as Creatine, and both said Autin drank plenty of water last Thursday.

At the time of Autin's collapse, about 5 p.m., the temperature was 88 degrees with 72 percent humidity and a heat index of 102. Why not work out when it's earlier, when it's cooler?

"They do. Some of them do," Glass said of the freshmen. "But we try to get them to go when they've gone to class first. Also, [the veteran and freshmen] workouts are different. This way, we're able to keep the workouts at a more laid-back pace compared to what the varsity guys are going through."

Athletic Director Jeremy Foley said a full review of Florida's practice regimen will begin shortly.

Following the February death of FSU linebacker Devaughn Darling during a conditioning workout, Athletic Director Dave Hart said the school would re-examine its off-season programs. FSU started by canceling the final two days of winter workouts.

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