Jordan McNair’s tragic death at Maryland in 2018 continues to lead to meaningful reforms for the Terps and other football players as leaders in the state aim to put further preventative measures in place.
The latest move came in the state house just a few miles down the road from College Park as Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed House Bill 876, ‘Policy on Student Concerns About Athletic Programs and Activities:'
UMD ultimately accepted responsibility for McNair’s death, which was caused by heatstroke but led to several investigations into the Terps football program and what was described as a “toxic culture” within it. Head coach DJ Durkin was eventually dismissed by the school as a result and the subsequent investigations prompted numerous reforms within the athletic department.
House Bill 876 appears to take at least one of those recommendations and codifies them into law.
“We just want to make sure that the students can be safe, and that they can tell an adult, and that they can do so outside of their team,” State Del. Shelly Hettleman told WTOP.
While the move appears to be a bit of common sense and something you’d like to think is already being done at most athletic departments around the country, good for Maryland doubling down on doing all they can to help address the situation that once existed with the Terps and hopefully make McNair’s death the last of its kind.