Heat stroke knocks Fresno State football player comatose

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Fresno State's football team had a major medical scare on its hands over the weekend. New player Shane Gama suffered heat stroke during a team workout.

Gama is an offensive lineman who transferred to Fresno State in January.

Action News talked to his father, who said Shane was in a coma for two days, but he came to Sunday and he's in serious condition Monday night.

Shane Gama's on-the-field exploits at Southwestern Community College earned him second team all-conference honors and a scholarship at Fresno State.

The 319-pound lineman practiced with the Bulldogs' second-team offense this spring and was attending team workouts when he suffered a medical emergency and had to go to Community Regional Medical Center.

"He was taken there by ambulance Friday afternoon, July 15, unresponsive after suffering from heatstroke following a team workout," said a statement from Fresno State's athletic department. "That workout was supervised by the head football strength and conditioning coach and the Fresno State sports medicine staff."

Both Gama and the strength and conditioning coach are new to Fresno State this year. But the rules regarding summer practices are not. The NCAA allows football student-athletes to do weight training and conditioning with coaches for as many as eight weeks and up to eight hours a week.

Gama's friends and family members took to social media over the weekend, saying he was in a coma and asking for prayers.

His dad tells us Shane is conscious and talking now, but still in really bad shape and has problems with some of his organs, so his season may be in jeopardy. Enrique Gama says he wants Fresno State to conduct an investigation into how this happened so it doesn't happen again to any players.

Friday's high temperature in Fresno was 100. Officials at CRMC tell us Gama had the most severe heat-related symptoms of anyone who came in all weekend.