Northwestern Safety Dies at 22

Rashidi Wheeler, a starting safety at Northwestern who played at La Verne Damien High, died after conditioning drills Friday, two days after the football world was shaken by the heatstroke death of Minnesota Viking offensive tackle Korey Stringer.

There was no immediate information on the cause of death, and an autopsy was scheduled for today, according to Dan Collins, an investigator with the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He refused to speculate on whether heat played any role. “We have no idea at this point,� he told the Associated Press.

School officials said Wheeler, a 22-year-old senior from Ontario who played three varsity seasons at Damien, had a history of asthma and had used an inhaler during practice.

“Rashidi actually had his inhaler in his hands,� trainer Tory Aggeler told the AP. “That’s important--that they have access to an inhaler in that situation.�

Wheeler did not respond to CPR from the coaching staff or paramedics, said Alan Berkowsky, spokesman for the Evanston Fire Department, which sent paramedics to the Evanston, Ill., campus. Wheeler died about an hour later at Evanston Hospital.

Wheeler’s mother, Linda Will, told the AP she had talked to him Thursday night, and he told her he was feeling well.

“He was having his physical agility test today. He felt he was in tiptop shape,� she said as she broke down in tears. “This is difficult for me.�

Added George Wheeler, the player’s father: “We’re all in shock right now. Rashidi was a Christian. He loved God. He felt it was a blessing to be able to play football. He was getting one of the best educations in the country. He was a hard worker, he was disciplined . . . he loved life.�

Wheeler is the fourth football player to die in the last 10 days. Stringer died Wednesday after practice in stifling heat. Later the same day, Travis Stowers, a 17-year-old high school player in Indiana, died after collapsing the previous afternoon during practice. And last week, University of Florida freshman running back Eraste Autin died of heatstroke complications six days after collapsing after a July 20 workout.

Jason Wright, a Northwestern running back, described the drills Wheeler and other players performed Friday as “our big conditioning test, something they do every year here; Rashidi pushed it right through to the end.�

Wright, a redshirt freshman from Diamond Bar High, said the conditioning test is a prerequisite of making the Northwestern roster.

“What we have to do is 10 100-meter sprints, eight 80s, six 60s and four 40s,� Wright said. “We have 14 seconds to do the 100s, 12 seconds to do the 80s, nine seconds for the 60s and seven seconds for the 40s, with that amount of time to rest between each run.

“Rashidi was two players ahead of me in line. I never saw Rashidi go down, because I collapsed and fell unconscious too. I got up, threw up and was as happy as I’ve ever been that I passed. Then I heard someone say, ‘Rashidi lost his pulse.’ I was speechless. I went from overly excited to another, completely opposite feeling.�

Kevin Bentley, a starting linebacker from North Hills, said he notified Wheeler’s parents of his death.

Bentley told the Chicago Tribune that he and Wheeler laughed about the drills during a Monopoly game with friends Thursday night. “We were joking about the running we would do today,� he said.

When Linda Will called, she reminded them to “be careful, drink water, take care of yourselves,� Bentley said. “We joked, ‘Yeah, yeah, yeah . . ,’ Twenty-four hours later I talked to his mom and it was a totally different story.�

Wheeler collapsed about 4 p.m. CDT, when the afternoon temperature was about 82 in the Evanston area, with a heat index of 87.

“It got harder and harder for him to catch his breath and he collapsed,� Berkowsky told AP. “When the trainer got up to him, he was still trying to catch his breath. He stopped breathing and his pulse also stopped.�

Wright said an ambulance didn’t arrive for what he estimated to be 30 minutes after Wheeler collapsed.

“By the time it came, I think everyone knew he was dead,� Wright said.

Wheeler was a two-year starting running back and honor student at Damien who was majoring in communications at Northwestern.

“There’s certainly a message of how brief and fragile life can be,� said Father Patrick Travers, Damien’s principal.

“When it comes to sports, this reinforces how cautious coaches must be with their regimen. Players, too, must be much more careful. If they’re not feeling good, they need to step out. That’s OK.�

Said Dick Larson, who coached Wheeler on a Damien team that reached the semifinals of the 1997 Southern Section playoffs:

“Rashidi was the kind of kid you use as a role model, both in the classroom and on the athletic field.�

Added Wright: “We’re all looking for answers. There’s finger pointing. There’s anger.�

George Wheeler said his family is not angry with Northwestern.

“We’re not upset,� he said. “We’re still in shock. We don’t have any negative comments or anything. We’re simply now trying to deal with [Rashidi’s death]. We’re holding up as best we can.�

George Wheeler, a financial planner, said Rashidi, the second of his three sons, had worked for Merrill Lynch one summer and “had thoughts of getting into the brokerage industry.�

Wheeler started all 12 games as a junior last season, finishing with 88 tackles, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups. He played in eight games as a sophomore and five as a freshman.

Northwestern Coach Randy Walker called Wheeler’s death “a terrible tragedy,� adding, “A sudden loss like this is difficult to comprehend.�

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Times staff writer Gene Maddaus, Chicago Tribune reporters Miakechael Hirsley and Skip Myslenski, and the Associated Press contributed to this stor (BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Rashidi Wheeler

* 22 years old, college senior

* 6 feet, 212 pounds

* Hometown, Ontario

* Last year, as a junior, started all 12 games at strong safety

* Finished third on team with 88 tackles (59 solo), a fumble recovery and three pass breakups.

* Played in eight games as a sophomore and five as a freshman.