George Boiardi
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Mario St. George Boiardi, Jr. (July 30, 1981 - March 17, 2004) was a Lacrosse player for Cornell University.
He was the team's rookie of the year as a freshman, and, as a senior, its co-captain. He was an 11-time letter winner at prep school Landon in Bethesda, Maryland: 4 in lacrosse; 4 in hockey; 3 in football. The Washington Post named him to its All-Metropolitan football team in 1998 and 1999.
In the 4th quarter of a game against Binghamton University, Boiardi stepped in front of a ball that had been fired by a Binghamton player, and was struck in the chest. He collapsed, and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. According to a Cornell spokesman, his death was caused by a rare syndrome known as commotio cordis, in which cardiac arrest is induced by a blunt, non-penetrating blow to the chest. Since 1999, four other players have died under similar circumstances. His death has stirred calls for improved safety measures.