Stringer Family Hires High-Profile Lawyer

The family of Minnesota Viking tackle Korey Stringer has hired a high-profile attorney to look into whether it should sue the team over Stringer’s heat-related death in August.

The lawyer, Stanley Chesley, specializes in personal-injury cases and told the Minneapolis Star Tribune: “This is a tragedy that should never have happened. I think we’ve got to take a look at the entire environment of football practice. There were heat alerts throughout the state of Minnesota. You didn’t have to be a brain surgeon to see and understand what the situation was.”

Team officials could not be reached for comment.

Stringer, 27, died Aug. 1, hours after collapsing in an air-conditioned trailer after finishing the morning practice on the second day of training camp. He became the NFL’s first player to die of heatstroke.

His death was attributed to multiple organ failure as a result of heatstroke. He had normal toxicological readings, his agent said. Although Stringer arrived at training camp weighing 335 pounds--the lightest he had been since college--his wife, Kelci, said he shed the weight by eating well in the off-season, not by using dietary supplements.

Agent James Gould, who represented Stringer, said the family is examining its options.

“We should know something in the next month,” he said.