Questions Arise in Football Death

A Missouri football player who died after collapsing at the end of a preseason workout wasn’t immediately taken to the hospital across the street but instead driven to the team offices, a university police report shows.

Aaron O’Neal, 19, was “in full cardiac arrest” by the time campus police officer Clayton Henke and University Hospital paramedics arrived at the Tom Taylor Building on July 12, Henke wrote in a police report obtained by Associated Press under Missouri’s public records law.

“He was brought to our door in the back of a pickup from afternoon workouts,” athletic trainer Greg Nagel told emergency dispatchers in a 911 call from the Taylor building, according to a copy of the call obtained by Associated Press. “We need someone here in a hurry.”

Fifteen minutes after Nagel’s call to 911, Henke was sent to the scene at 3:24 p.m., nearly one hour after the conclusion of the hourlong voluntary workout.

O’Neal, a 6-foot-3, 220-pound backup middle linebacker, started to struggle in conditioning drills about 45 minutes into the session, where players wore shorts, T-shirts and football cleats but no helmets or pads.

O’Neal was unconscious when he arrived at the Taylor building, assistant athletic trainer Alfred Castillo told university police. O’Neal was taken there rather than the nearby hospital “so that O’Neal could be seen by staff members,” Henke wrote.

It was not clear when O’Neal became unconscious. He was pronounced dead at the hospital at 4:05 p.m., just over 90 minutes after the workout ended.

Tennis

Venus Williams earned her first tournament match victory since her Wimbledon title, defeating Sania Mirza, 6-3, 6-2, to advance to the quarterfinals of the Bank of the West Classic at Palo Alto.

Third-seeded Patty Schnyder also advanced to the quarterfinals by defeating Marion Bartoli, 6-4, 7-5.

Sixth-seeded Nathalie Dechy beat Lisa Raymond, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, and seventh-seeded Jelena Jankovic beat Amy Frazier, 6-0, 6-3.

Pro Football

Miami Dolphin rookie Manuel Wright, who broke down in tears after he was chastised by Coach Nick Saban on Tuesday, did not attend Wednesday morning’s practice, so that he could have his ailing back examined.

“The guy went to the doctor today. They wanted to check his back out,” Saban said. “That’s part of the issue. We have a protocol and procedure for how we do things around here, and sometimes young players don’t understand that.”

Wright, a defensive tackle from USC, was taken in the fifth round of the NFL’s supplemental draft this month.

The Carolina Panthers acquired wide receiver Rod Gardner from the Washington Redskins. Carolina did not say what it gave up to get Gardner....In a surprising twist to his push for a new contract, wide receiver Javon Walker showed up at the Green Bay Packers’ training camp. He wouldn’t elaborate on whether there had been any change in his contract status.... Fourth-round draft pick Manuel White, a running back from UCLA, agreed to terms on a four-year, $1.81-million contract with the Washington Redskins.... Wide receiver Tab Perry has signed a three-year contract with the Cincinnati Bengals. Perry, also from UCLA, was a sixth-round draft pick.

Track and Field

The U.S. squad announced for the world championships to be held Aug. 6-14 in Helsinki, Finland, includes 27 Olympic medalists. Among the team members are Olympic gold medalists Justin Gatlin in the 100, Jeremy Wariner in the 400, Dwight Phillips in the long jump and Joanna Hayes in the 100 hurdles.

Pro Hockey

The Dallas Stars released center Pierre Turgeon and plan to buy out his contract if no team claims him off waivers in 24 hours. The buyout would be for $2.97 million, two-thirds what he was to make under his five-year, $25.5-million contract, a team spokesman said.

Pro Basketball

Michelle Snow’s last-second jump shot capped Houston’s 15-point second-half comeback and lifted the Comets to a 71-69 victory over the New York Liberty in a WNBA game at Madison Square Garden.