Federal and Maryland leaders are taking a big step to protect student-athletes across the country from heat-related death and illnesses, in the name of former Maryland Terrapins football player Jordan McNair, who died of heat-related illness in 2018.

The Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act is being reintroduced in Congress which will include protections for college and high school athletic programs. 

Jordan McNair's story

This bill honors Jordan McNair, a former freshman on the University of Maryland football team, who collapsed due to heatstroke during practice on May 29, 2018.  

That day, his temperature reached 106 degrees, and roughly 90 minutes passed before he arrived at a nearby hospital to receive medical attention.

He was airlifted to the University of Maryland Medical Center Shock Trauma Center to receive an emergency liver transplant, but died two weeks later.

Since his death, Jordan McNair's parents, Martin 'Marty' McNair and Tonya Wilson, have been working to better educate people about heat-related illnesses.

Jordan's family started the Jordan McNair Foundation, a nonprofit that works to educate student athletes, parents, and the football community at large on the signs and symptoms of heatstroke and heat-related illnesses.

"What we've done is, you know, we've evolved from heat-related injuries to emergency action, plan, preparation, and education to student athlete education, and parent education, just in regards to the ever-changing collegiate landscape," Martin 'Marty' McNair said. 

Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act

McNair's story is what inspired U.S. Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-MD) and U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07) to introduce the Jordan McNair Student Athlete Heat Fatality Prevention Act. 

"This type of injury, you know, most people, as I always said, you know, it doesn't impact you until it falls on your lap, or it's in your living room," said Marty McNair. "Unfortunately, this is that time of year when these types of injuries always occur."

This is not the first time Maryland leaders have introduced this bill. In 2023, Congressman Mfume, and U.S. Senator Ben Cardin brought the bill to the forefront, but according to the Congress website, it never made it out of committee.  

"We lost Jordan McNair and several others, both here in Maryland and across the country," said Maryland U.S Congressman Kweisi Mfume. "So it is important for athletes not only to compete and to use their God given talent, but colleges, universities, and high schools need to make sure that they are protected."  

"Jordan McNair would be 26 today [in 2025]. We must honor his memory by getting this legislation passed," said Senator Angela Alsobrooks. 

The new bill that has been introduced will require both college and high school athletic programs to implement heat illness emergency action plans (EAPs) in consultation with local emergency responders, including the operation and use of cold-water immersion equipment.

"Our goal really for this is to really create a baseline standard across the nation where they have all of the correct or all of the same safety systems in place when it comes to these injuries," Marty McNair said. 

Heat-related illness prevention efforts

Since Jordan McNair's death, the University of Maryland and other institutions have taken steps to prevent and treat heat-related injuries among their student athletes, including:

• Making cold water immersion tubs available at every practice and game
• Installing and maintaining readily accessible automatic defibrillators in every venue
• Increasing the number of doctors and trainers at practices and games
• Providing more recovery breaks
• Increasing the training and reporting structure of athletic trainers, among other reforms in line with the priorities of this legislation.

"I look at Jordan every single day, especially when we make this type of impact," said Marty McNair.  "I had no idea that he would be the poster boy for student athlete, safety, and how much, how much impactful, much more impactful his legacy would be." 

To learn more about the Jordan McNair Foundation and the events they host you can visit .