Minutes after Minnesota’s 42-0 victory against Southwest Texas State two Saturdays ago, coach Glen Mason stood before his team and warned his players to steer clear of trouble.

This wasn’t the first time Mason, a former head coach at Kansas University, had made such a speech. He, like most coaches, constantly harps on the importance of staying out of trouble and avoiding dangerous situations.

But his diligence in the matter didn’t prevent the death of Gophers redshirt freshman Brandon Hall, who was shot in the chest after he and two other teammates came to the aid of another teammate who had been assaulted and robbed.

This week, coaches from around the Big Ten expressed sadness over Hall’s death and sent their condolences to his family and the Minnesota program, perhaps realizing that it easily could have happened to one of their players.

When you coach more than 100 players, as football coaches do, there are going to be times when players find trouble. Sometimes it finds them.

“You know they’re going to go out. They’re college kids,” Illinois coach Ron Turner said. “They’re going to be out on Saturday nights and it’s scary because a lot of times things happen and these guys are innocent bystanders.”

Tragedy is nothing new in the Big Ten or the college game in general. Last spring, Michigan’s Markus Curry and Carl Diggs were shot at an off-campus party after a fight that did not involve either player. Both players are still on the team. Curry plays even though the bullet that nearly paralyzed him remains lodged in his back.

Last summer, Northwestern’s Rashidi Wheeler died of an asthma attack during pre-season workouts. In 2000, Penn State’s Adam Taliaferro was temporarily paralyzed as a result of a hit he took on the field. Each incident shook their respective teams.

“Someone told me last year that there were only two ways to migrate through this and that is with time and prayers,” Northwestern coach Randy Walker said. “That’s all it comes down to because there is no easy formula. There is no easy way.”

At Wisconsin, Barry Alvarez has a police officer speak to incoming freshmen and then the team as a whole at the beginning of the season.

At Iowa, Kirk Ferentz brings in speakers to reinforce the messages he and his staff give players about avoiding trouble.

At Ohio State, Jim Tressel has a 10 p.m. rule, though it’s not a rigid curfew.

“Nothing good happens past 10,” Tressel said.

However, it is easier said than done to get an athlete to go home early on the weekends when so many of his classmates are out.

“As a college student, it is hard to be in before midnight, especially on weekends after a game,” Michigan running back Chris Perry said. “We’re all 20 something and we want to have fun.”

Hall was shot about 2 a.m. and was pronounced dead 54 minutes later. Hall’s death occurred in one of the largest cities in the Big Ten. Most of the universities in the conference are located in smaller towns with low crime rates.

For that reason, Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz said he thought such an incident was less likely to occur in Iowa City.