Ronnell Grixby's football career at Nebraska may be over before it begins

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Heart episode ends year for Ronnell Grixby

Published Wednesday July 23, 2008NU Football: Heart episode ends year for Ronnell Grixby

BY DIRK CHATELAIN

WORLD-HERALD STAFF WRITER

Ronnell Grixby's football career at Nebraska may be over before it begins.

Ronnell Grixby, who helped lead Omaha Central to state titles in football and basketball, has postponed plans to join Nebraska's football team as a walk-on.The Omaha Central graduate, a prominent two-sport star who helped the Eagles to state championships in football and basketball his senior year, will sit out the 2008 season after registering a dangerously high heart rate during a June workout.

Doctors cleared Grixby to play about two weeks ago after he passed an electrocardiogram, but "that doesn't mean he's out of the woods," said Evelyn Grixby, Ronnell's mother.

So instead of rushing into fall camp with worries about his condition, Grixby, a walk-on, has decided to spend the season away from the field. He'll attend classes, train apart from the team and hopefully participate in 2009.

"His plan is to come back," Evelyn Grixby said.

Ronnell's problem was detected in June after he moved to Lincoln to get a jump on his college career.

Once on campus, he and other newcomers underwent physical testing in preparation for strenuous summer workouts. If someone wasn't in good health, better that Nebraska trainers and medical staff know early so, according to Evelyn Grixby, "they don't drop dead on the field."

During a workout, medical personnel were monitoring Grixby as he trained with future teammates. They approached him and asked how he was feeling. Fine, Grixby said. His chest was a little tight — he'd been diagnosed with exercise-induced asthma in sixth grade — but nothing unusual.

Grixby was told his heart rate had registered 215 beats per minute. A normal reading is close to 160.

Doctors ran more tests on Grixby's heart. He wasn't certain he could ever play again until an EKG revealed nothing to prevent him from participation. It's not that simple, his mom said.

"If your heart stops beating and you collapse on the football field, you don't want that to happen," Evelyn Grixby said. "As a parent, I certainly don't want that to happen.

"I'd rather have him wait and work his way up and make sure he is where he needs to be. When that time comes, if he's able to participate, that's wonderful. If he's not, then it's God's will."

Ronnell isn't on heart medication and hasn't been diagnosed with a condition. He has attended breathing classes intended to take stress off his heart and lungs.

Meanwhile, he continues to train, but "he has his own workout," Evelyn Grixby said. Once fall camp starts, he can't join the team for training sessions, meetings, practices or games.

Evelyn Grixby, who had two older sons, DeAntae and Cortney, play football at Nebraska, is thankful that Ronnell went to a Division I school, where technological resources are available to detect physical conditions. Had he gone to a smaller school, his problem may never have been found, she said.

Ronnell remains in "high spirits," DeAntae Grixby said.

"I've always told him and Cortney, football's an avenue to an education," DeAntae Grixby said. "Education's the most important thing."
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WOW, it's a good thing that found out about this early or the chances of him dying from this could've been very high. Good luck to him and hopefully everything works out one way or another.

 
Ronnell remains in "high spirits," DeAntae Grixby said.

"I've always told him and Cortney, football's an avenue to an education," DeAntae Grixby said. "Education's the most important thing."
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would all kids have that in mind when they go to college.

 
That's terrible, even if he would turn out to be like his brother (playing wise) this is still a terrible thing to happen to a good kid. Wish him the best.

 
Kinda makes you wonder the what if's. NU should have state of the art facilities and staff. What if he decided to go juco or to a smaller school? Kinda makes you wonder if it would have been caught this early or even at all. Either way I'm glad they saw it and the kid can now make whatever adjustments he must make.

 
coyeote said:
Kinda makes you wonder the what if's. NU should have state of the art facilities and staff. What if he decided to go juco or to a smaller school? Kinda makes you wonder if it would have been caught this early or even at all. Either way I'm glad they saw it and the kid can now make whatever adjustments he must make.
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plus he should still be covered if he can't play(nebraska still lets them go through and finish school on a scholly i believe) so he's got that degree for him to go on, it reminds me of the player from tenn who had a heart condition caught because tenn has every athelete go on some machine.

 
Husker_freak774 said:
That's terrible, even if he would turn out to be like his brother (playing wise) this is still a terrible thing to happen to a good kid. Wish him the best.
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I agree this is potentially terrible whether he plays or not.

I don't think his ability was ever in question..He was considered to be even better than Courtney or DeAntae.

Ronnell was in the process of being offered by Callahan and others until word got out about his attitude problems? (Work ethic?) as a Jr.

Seems he was working on being a better person and decided to walk on after the offers dried up.

 
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