WASHINGTON, 23 August 2005 — San Francisco 49ers coach Mike Nolan says Thomas Herrion was joking around just minutes before collapsing and later dying following a preseason game.
“Right now it’s a day of morning for the 49ers family,” head coach Nolan said at the team’s Santa Clara headquarters in California on Sunday.
“We lost a teammate and a very good friend as well. “The coroner’s office has contacted me, but the results are still pending. I don’t have any medical answers at this time.” After collapsing on Saturday, the 23-year-old Herrion was rushed to a Denver hospital where the 6ft-3in, 330-pound offensive lineman was pronounced dead. Toxicology tests that could shed some light on the cause of death could be several weeks away, officials said.
Herrion played during the final drive of the game against the Denver Broncos, a 14-play, 91-yard effort that resulted in a 23-yard touchdown run by Cody Pickett with just two seconds left. As he left the field, Herrion “interacted with the fans,” Nolan said.
“He was feeling well then. He joked with our nutritionist in the locker room after the game as well.” After the 26-21 loss, Nolan gathered the team for a locker room talk and recited a prayer.
“Right about the time of completion someone in the back had said that Thomas was down,” Nolan said. “At that time everyone kind of stood up and cleared out.
“The medical staff immediately came to Thomas, who at that time was lying on the ground.” The temperature during the game at mile-high Denver was a mild 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Nolan said despite weighing 330 pounds, Herrion was healthy.
“I don’t think he missed a practice and if he did it was muscular,” said Nolan, adding that Herrion was in on about 20 plays during the game. The team will hold a memorial service on Tuesday. Nolan said he would adjust the team’s practice schedule this week.
“Right now we’re exploring all the ways that we want to deal with our coaches and players alike,” he said.
“It’s not just players or coaches, it’s everyone in the building. “Football will take the back burner. I do think that being on the field is therapeutic to coaches and players alike, but not right away. “We have some issues to talk about, so that everybody can come to some understanding in their minds of what happened.”
