((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))UCF football officials supervising Ereck Plancher ((pictured, thanks UCF SID)) the day he died did not know he tested positive for sickle cell trait, according to depositions and statements made in court.
Attorneys representing Plancher's family in a wrongful-death lawsuit contend no one at his final workout — including the sole athletic trainer present — was aware of Plancher's potentially lethal condition. Sickle cell trait was cited by the medical examiner as a contributing factor in Plancher's death.
The sworn statements of two assistant coaches contradict the school's long-held stance that all staff members were aware of the football player's medical history and monitored him closely during every workout.
Then OC Tim Salem and Wide Receivers Coach David Kelly testified on July 31 that they didn't know about Ereck Plancher's previous condition.
From Salem's deposition:
Q. Do you remember how you found out that he [Plancher] had sickle cell trait?
A. I think it was through the news. Well, I want to say it was the newspaper. I remember reading the release that UCF had that all the coaches knew, you know, Ereck Plancher had sickle cell. I'm like, [expletive], I didn't know.
Q. Did you ever talk to any of the other coaches about whether they had known?
A. Yeah, because as soon as I read that newspaper, I called one of our other coaches immediately and said did you know that so-and-so had sickle cell, because I sure as [expletive] didn't.
Q. Who did you call?
A. [UCF wide-receivers coach] David Kelly.
Q. What did he say?
A. He didn't know either.
Plancher lawyer Jeffrey Murphey said in open court that UCF trainer Robert Jackson, in a deposition, claimed he did not know Plancher had sickle cell trait. Jackson was the only trainer present at the time of the collapse. However, head trainer Mary Vander Heiden was aware of Plancher's condition- a claim UCF's lawyers admitted.
So, the head trainer knew, but the coaches and other trainers did not...?
A training staff would not alert coaches about a possibly fatal condition...???
And this also flies in the face of what UCF AD Keith Tribble said on July 18, 2008:
"Our staff advised Ereck of his sickle cell trait and monitored his physical condition at every practice and workout."
Define the word "staff" Mister Tribble...
We call "shenanigans" in bold-face type... again...
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