Northern Michigan University football player was healthy 'gentle giant' before sudden death
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on January 20, 2017 at 7:40 AM, updated January 20, 2017 at 1:01 PM
MARQUETTE, MI -- Anthony Herbert seemed like a healthy 20-year-old, right up until the moment he lost consciousness and died this week.
Growing up, the Lapeer native competed in football, wrestling and track and field. He was hardly ever sick, and hadn't needed a medical procedure since he had his tonsils removed when he was 4.
But on Tuesday Jan. 17, Herbert became unresponsive and died in his Spaulding Hall residence at Northern Michigan University.
Recalling a conversation she had with her son's medical examiner later that day, Lori Herbert said two things were immediately apparent.
"The medical examiner said he was "remarkably healthy" ... but his heart was twice the size of normal," she said in an interview with MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. "There were no warning signs at all. There's no blame; no finger-pointing. It's just a tragedy."
The family is awaiting official autopsy results expected to pinpoint his cause of death.
Lori Herbert, a nurse who works for Acclaimed Home Care, referred to her son's condition as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy -- a condition in which the heart muscle is so large and thick that it can cause problems, including sudden heart failure.
The genetic disorder is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
"If I could drill any point home to any athlete, it would be pay a little money and get your heart checked," she said. "There often aren't symptoms until it's too late. He worked out every day and was in great shape."
No warning signs
When Blake Roe woke up to news of Herbert's death being shared via a team group message Tuesday, he thought it was a joke.
Before laying down to take a nap, the 19-year-old defensive lineman had worked out and grabbed breakfast with the rest of the NMU team, including Herbert.
"He was in my workout group, right next to me the whole time," Roe said. "There was no indication he was suffering. It was our first conditioning day back and they wanted to ease us back into it. No one struggled with it."
After breakfast, the two linemen went back to their respective residence halls. While Roe was napping, Herbert talked to his girlfriend on Facebook and sat down with his roommate to watch a movie.
It was there that he became unresponsive. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful.
While the family awaits official autopsy results, Lori Herbert said she has no doubt they'll come back clean regarding drugs or steroids.
"We couldn't even get him to take Motrin or vitamins. He was straight-laced. He didn't do steroids -- he didn't need to. God gave him the body to lift and he loved to. He put in the work to get where he did."
A 'gentle giant'
Throughout his two decades, Anthony Herbert was known for his large smile and even larger stature. At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, he was difficult to miss and harder to forget.
"Anthony was big from the jump," his mom said. "He was born 12-pounds, 9-ounces, and 23-inches long. He was always much bigger than his classmates."
In the beginning, he was forced to play flag football instead of tackle as a safety precaution to other children. When he was able to play with contact, he quickly proved his worth in the trenches.
During a youth football hitting drill, he once knocked his coach over, earning the
nickname "T-Bone." That stuck with him until college, when his NMU teammates began calling him "Herbie."
"He was definitely a gentle giant," she said. "He looked tough but a lot of people have been talking about what a great hugger he was and how he was always upbeat and saying everything would be OK."
In high school, Herbert earned a starting spot as a freshman playing on the varsity team at Lapeer East.
After three seasons on the Eagles' line, his school merged with local high school Lapeer West. The move brought with it unique challenges, but Lapeer coach Mike Smith said the veteran lineman eased the transition.
"The first thing was figuring out how we were going to get these kids to play together. That's where Anthony was key. He bought into the merge and accepted his new teammates the right way. That was just his personality."
Based on his size, Herbert was often compared to fellow Lapeer native Jake Long, who had a standout career at the University of Michigan before being drafted first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Herbert dreamed of following in Long's footsteps to a professional career, and Smith said his former player was putting in the work to improve on the field and in the classroom.
As a redshirt freshman, Herbert started all 11 games at right guard this season, earning a spot on the all-GLIAC academic team.
"He was making progress and gaining so much confidence," Smith said. "He was doing very well in the construction management program and he had kind of turned a corner."
The high school coach last saw Herbert during the recent holiday break when he spent time working in the weight room with members of the current Lapeer offensive line.
"When you're big, it's a different world and he traveled that world," Smith said. "He embraced taking on some of our younger guys and showing them the way."
Feeling the support
Lori Herbert knew her son was well-liked in his social circles. But during the hours after his death, she found herself in awe of the scope of his connections.
"I knew he was always a popular guy but I never realized how many people's lives he touched," she said. "It's incredible. He was everything a parent would hope their child would turn out to be and more."
A family friend of the Herberts created a GoFundMe page Tuesday to help raise money to assist in covering funeral costs. Within 12 hours, the page exceeded its $8,000 goal, and by Thursday afternoon it had raised more than $14,000 with donations from at least 222 people.
After making the eight-hour drive from Lapeer to Marquette on Wednesday, Lori and her husband, Mike Herbert, were greeted by their son's co-workers from the Marquette Holiday Inn.
The staff provided them with two expenses-paid adjoining rooms, as well as a stocked mini fridge, two baskets filled with snacks and toiletries, and a pair of signed cards.
Soon after, Lori was contacted by Forrest Karr, the university's director of athletics, who notified her that the team would be taking a bus together to attend Herbert's funeral in Lapeer.
The visitation is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at Muir Brothers Funeral Home. Herbert's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan, 21 at the First Baptist Church, 1212 Knollwood Drive.
"My eyes are full of flowing tears, but my heart is flowing with the love and support we are given!" Lori Herbert wrote in a Facebook post. "I can't even begin to know how to say thank you."
The family is requesting memorial contributions be made to the Lapeer County FFA Alumni for the Anthony Herbert Memorial Scholarship, in lieu of flowers. For more information, visit Herbert's obituary.
Growing up, the Lapeer native competed in football, wrestling and track and field. He was hardly ever sick, and hadn't needed a medical procedure since he had his tonsils removed when he was 4.
But on Tuesday Jan. 17, Herbert became unresponsive and died in his Spaulding Hall residence at Northern Michigan University.
Recalling a conversation she had with her son's medical examiner later that day, Lori Herbert said two things were immediately apparent.
"The medical examiner said he was "remarkably healthy" ... but his heart was twice the size of normal," she said in an interview with MLive and The Grand Rapids Press. "There were no warning signs at all. There's no blame; no finger-pointing. It's just a tragedy."
The family is awaiting official autopsy results expected to pinpoint his cause of death.
Lori Herbert, a nurse who works for Acclaimed Home Care, referred to her son's condition as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy -- a condition in which the heart muscle is so large and thick that it can cause problems, including sudden heart failure.
The genetic disorder is the leading cause of sudden death in young athletes, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
"We are so terribly sorry for his family and his team and everybody," said Maria Flores, a member of the Wes Leonard Heart Team Foundation.
"If I could drill any point home to any athlete, it would be pay a little money and get your heart checked," she said. "There often aren't symptoms until it's too late. He worked out every day and was in great shape."
No warning signs
When Blake Roe woke up to news of Herbert's death being shared via a team group message Tuesday, he thought it was a joke.
Before laying down to take a nap, the 19-year-old defensive lineman had worked out and grabbed breakfast with the rest of the NMU team, including Herbert.
"He was in my workout group, right next to me the whole time," Roe said. "There was no indication he was suffering. It was our first conditioning day back and they wanted to ease us back into it. No one struggled with it."
After breakfast, the two linemen went back to their respective residence halls. While Roe was napping, Herbert talked to his girlfriend on Facebook and sat down with his roommate to watch a movie.
It was there that he became unresponsive. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful.
The medical emergency suffered Tuesday morning by a Northern Michigan University football player might have been the result of an enlarged heart.
While the family awaits official autopsy results, Lori Herbert said she has no doubt they'll come back clean regarding drugs or steroids.
"We couldn't even get him to take Motrin or vitamins. He was straight-laced. He didn't do steroids -- he didn't need to. God gave him the body to lift and he loved to. He put in the work to get where he did."
A 'gentle giant'
Throughout his two decades, Anthony Herbert was known for his large smile and even larger stature. At 6-foot-4, 315 pounds, he was difficult to miss and harder to forget.
"Anthony was big from the jump," his mom said. "He was born 12-pounds, 9-ounces, and 23-inches long. He was always much bigger than his classmates."
In the beginning, he was forced to play flag football instead of tackle as a safety precaution to other children. When he was able to play with contact, he quickly proved his worth in the trenches.
During a youth football hitting drill, he once knocked his coach over, earning the
nickname "T-Bone." That stuck with him until college, when his NMU teammates began calling him "Herbie."
"He was definitely a gentle giant," she said. "He looked tough but a lot of people have been talking about what a great hugger he was and how he was always upbeat and saying everything would be OK."
In high school, Herbert earned a starting spot as a freshman playing on the varsity team at Lapeer East.
After three seasons on the Eagles' line, his school merged with local high school Lapeer West. The move brought with it unique challenges, but Lapeer coach Mike Smith said the veteran lineman eased the transition.
"The first thing was figuring out how we were going to get these kids to play together. That's where Anthony was key. He bought into the merge and accepted his new teammates the right way. That was just his personality."
Based on his size, Herbert was often compared to fellow Lapeer native Jake Long, who had a standout career at the University of Michigan before being drafted first overall in the 2008 NFL Draft.
Herbert dreamed of following in Long's footsteps to a professional career, and Smith said his former player was putting in the work to improve on the field and in the classroom.
As a redshirt freshman, Herbert started all 11 games at right guard this season, earning a spot on the all-GLIAC academic team.
"He was making progress and gaining so much confidence," Smith said. "He was doing very well in the construction management program and he had kind of turned a corner."
The high school coach last saw Herbert during the recent holiday break when he spent time working in the weight room with members of the current Lapeer offensive line.
"When you're big, it's a different world and he traveled that world," Smith said. "He embraced taking on some of our younger guys and showing them the way."
Feeling the support
Lori Herbert knew her son was well-liked in his social circles. But during the hours after his death, she found herself in awe of the scope of his connections.
"I knew he was always a popular guy but I never realized how many people's lives he touched," she said. "It's incredible. He was everything a parent would hope their child would turn out to be and more."
A family friend of the Herberts created a GoFundMe page Tuesday to help raise money to assist in covering funeral costs. Within 12 hours, the page exceeded its $8,000 goal, and by Thursday afternoon it had raised more than $14,000 with donations from at least 222 people.
After making the eight-hour drive from Lapeer to Marquette on Wednesday, Lori and her husband, Mike Herbert, were greeted by their son's co-workers from the Marquette Holiday Inn.
The staff provided them with two expenses-paid adjoining rooms, as well as a stocked mini fridge, two baskets filled with snacks and toiletries, and a pair of signed cards.
Soon after, Lori was contacted by Forrest Karr, the university's director of athletics, who notified her that the team would be taking a bus together to attend Herbert's funeral in Lapeer.
The visitation is scheduled for 1 p.m. Friday, Jan. 20 at Muir Brothers Funeral Home. Herbert's funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan, 21 at the First Baptist Church, 1212 Knollwood Drive.
"My eyes are full of flowing tears, but my heart is flowing with the love and support we are given!" Lori Herbert wrote in a Facebook post. "I can't even begin to know how to say thank you."
The family is requesting memorial contributions be made to the Lapeer County FFA Alumni for the Anthony Herbert Memorial Scholarship, in lieu of flowers. For more information, visit Herbert's obituary.
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