What Happened?
Maryland football coach DJ Durkin, who was placed on paid administrative leave in August following the June 13 death of 19-year-old offensive lineman Jordan McNair from heatstroke he suffered at a May 29 workout, has been reinstated, the University System of Maryland board of regents announced Tuesday.
A source said that athletic director Damon Evans informed the team of the decision with Durkin present. Durkin met with the players with no other coaches present before a regularly scheduled practice, and sources told ESPN that several players, including starters, walked out of the meeting with Durkin.
“Everybody’s shell-shocked [within the program],” a source said. “Nobody’s saying much. Nobody knows what to do right now.”
(ESPN)
During training camp prior to the 2018 season, offensive lineman Jordan McNair, suffered heatstroke after running 10 100-yard sprints and passed away a couple of weeks later. No one in the Maryland athletic department has faced any consequences for there actions or lack thereof.
Dr. Walters says it took Maryland 34 minutes to remove Jordan McNair from the field and 1 hour 7 minutes to call 911.
— Testudo Times (@testudotimes) September 21, 2018
Hey ball coach, there’s a kid dying on the field, um, does anyone want to like, do something? Nah? Word. Everyone’s overall nonchalant reaction to Jordan McNair’s struggle is baffling until you read more about Maryland football’s overall culture.
-There is a coaching environment based on fear and intimidation. In one example, a player holding a meal while in a meeting had the meal slapped out of his hands in front of the team. At other times, small weights and other objects were thrown in the direction of players when [strength coach Rick] Court was angry.
-The belittling, humiliation and embarrassment of players is common. In one example, a player whom coaches wanted to lose weight was forced to eat candy bars as he was made to watch teammates working out.
-Extreme verbal abuse of players occurs often. Players are routinely the targets of obscenity-laced epithets meant to mock their masculinity when they are unable to complete a workout or weight lift, for example. One player was belittled verbally after passing out during a drill.
(ESPN)
I don’t like to throw around the word ‘toxic’ here but what the fuck is going on in Maryland? When you send your kid to go play college football, you don’t expect the coaching staff to call him a fag if he can’t lift as much as they’d want him to.
You certainly expect him to come back alive for Thanksgiving but this is football culture. You are a bitch if you can’t run the length of the field all day long. Of course no one rushed to help Jordan McNair. They probably wired his mouth open and stuffed his stomach with gravy that morning to get his weight up.
Also, I don’t want to hear that DJ Durkin wasn’t personally responsible for the strength and training. He’s in charge of the program and he allowed his staff to turn into Ben Stiller from Heavyweights. These motherfuckers straight up threw gym weights at 19-year old kids.
You need to hold these adults accountable.
How do you put DJ Durkin on PAID leave and then reinstate him? HE’S NOT EVEN A GOOD HEAD COACH. Durkin has a 10-15 win-loss record at Maryland and 5-13 within the Big Ten conference. He stinks.
It’s not like Ohio State protecting Urban Meyer or Penn State protecting Joe Paterno, two coaches who win every game they play. No, Durkin is a garbage head coach and it would only cost the university a $5 million buyout. Firing him is the only answer to all of this.
Every Saturday my teammates and I have to kneel before the memorial of our fallen teammate. Yet a group of people do not have the courage to hold anyone accountable for his death. If only they could have the courage that Jordan had. It’s never the wrong time to do what’s right. pic.twitter.com/AaZVmLGTtS
— Ellis McKennie (@emck_cubed97) October 30, 2018
Even the players on the team want DJ Durkin gone.
Get DJ Durkin the fuuuuuuuuuuuck out of here before someone else loses their life.
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