Randy Russell is a member of Florida’s 2018 class, and he’s already on campus in Gainesville with the aim of getting the fastest start possible on his college football career. But Russell won’t play a snap for the Gators, and it has nothing to do with his playing ability.
Russell announced Thursday his career has ended due to a heart condition. Florida spokesman Steve McClain said the condition was discovered during a physical exam conducted by Florida’s team doctors.
“A week ago, I began my journey as a student athlete at the University of Florida,” Russell wrote in a Twitter post. “Today, I was diagnosed with hypothermic cardiomyopathy. A heart condition that prevents me from continuing with the hopes of playing college football and becoming a professional football player.”
— ✝️ (@randy_knows) January 11, 2018
According to WebMD, hypothermic cardiomyopathy is “associated with thickening of the heart muscle, most commonly at the septum between the ventricles, below the aortic valve. This leads to stiffening of the walls of the heart and abnormal aortic and mitral heart valve function, both of which may impede normal bloodflow out of the heart.”
Symptoms range from chest pain and shortness of breath (both of which are exacerbated by exercise), to heart palpations, to even sudden death.
“As tragic as this is for Randy and his family to hear this news, this discovery is life-saving for him,” Gators head coach Dan Mullen said in a statement. “We will be fully supportive in any way we can for Randy and his family. He will continue to be a part of the Gator football family and we will assist him in his academic pursuits at the University of Florida.”
Russell was a 3-star safety from Miami’s Carol City High School.