Vikings to Take Conditioning Test
MANKATO, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings will undergo a conditioning test after the first practice at training camp, head coach Mike Tice said Wednesday, though he didn´t say whether the move is a response to the death of offensive lineman Korey Stringer last summer.
Tice, who was hired on Jan. 10, also said he has developed a contingency plan for practice in the event of extreme heat, but provided no details.
Stringer, who was beginning his seventh year with the Vikings, died Aug. 1, after suffering heat stroke on the second day of camp.
A pretrial hearing in the $100 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by Stringer´s widow is scheduled for June 24.
The lawsuit, filed in January against the Vikings, team coaches and medical staff, alleges that Stringer didn´t get proper medical care.
Training camp begins July 26 at Minnesota State University Mankato. Tice said he wants to establish a new routine by having players report for camp on Friday instead of Sunday, as the team did under coach Dennis Green.
Tice said he plans to open camp with 86 players: the NFL maximum of 80, plus six NFL Europe players who do not count toward the limit.