University of Maryland Settles With Football Player Jordan McNair’s Family For $3.5 Million

After three years, the family of Jordan McNair, the Maryland football player who tragically died of heatstroke, is close to finally closing one door of their grieving. On Friday, The University of Maryland, College Park, and the state’s Office of the Attorney General agreed to settle with the family for $3.5 million.

According to ESPN, the settlement amount, which is on the agenda for the Jan. 27 meeting, must be approved by the Maryland Board of Public Works. The settlement process has been ongoing for two-years, despite McNair being gone for three.

In May 2018, McNair, a very promising four-star recruit, was hospitalized with heatstroke after collapsing during a team workout. Fifteen days later, McNair died.

According to Attorney Hassan Murphy, McNair’s parents “Marty and Tonya are relieved that this fight is over and [are ready] to put this behind them as they continue to mourn Jordan’s death. They are committed to channeling their grief and loss into the work that remains to protect the lives of student-athletes around the world by educating them about the signs and risks of exertional heat stroke.”

Through an independent investigation, it was later discovered that “the Maryland medical staff failed to properly identify and treat McNair’s symptoms, which contributed to his death,” NBC News reported.

Shortly after, head Coach DJ Durkin and his staff were accused of  “culture of intimidation and abuse.” They were later fired from their jobs.

According to ESPN, reports included “incidents of extreme verbal abuse, using food punitively and commonly belittling and humiliating players.”

“How was I so trusting of these coaches who sat at our table before signing day promising to treat him as one of their own?” Marty McNair writes in his recently published book, Can My Child Play. 

“These same coaches who didn’t have the integrity to call us and tell us Jordan got hurt on the first day of conditioning drills. The same coach that didn’t ride in the ambulance to the hospital with our son, after promising us that he’d protect him.”

“I made the wrong decision about who to trust with the thing that mattered most to me in the world.”