Plancher Trial Day 10: Former UCF Player Contradicts O'Leary

((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))

Iliana Limon's must read of the Ereck Plancher trial continues with Day 10 disclosing another former University of Central Florida saying head coach George O'Leary would pull water from certain drills for what was termed "mental toughness."

Former wideout Brian Watters was one of five to testify on Day 10. Robert Jackson, the only certified athletic trainer on duty that day, said that he could not testify with certainty if water was inside the fieldhouse or not that day. Members of the Plancher family also testified on the emotional distress of the family.

Here's the O'Leary greatest hits from Day 9...
 

The trial is supposed to resume Monday morning with a tour of the UCF facility...

Plancher Trial Day 9: O'Leary Grilled...

((HT: Orlando Sentinel/Limon))

The Ereck Plancher trial continues in Orlando, and on Day 9 UCF Head Coach George O'Leary was ((pretty much)) ordered to take the stand despite the school's insistence that the coach's need to be present for his on-campus clinic superseded the trial and the judge's wishes...

So much for that idea...

O'Leary maintained that he did not order both water and training staff out of the training facility on the day that Ereck Plancher collapsed and eventually died.

The Orange County ME and two football players have said the opposite in open court and O'Leary was questioned for more than three hours on the stand Thursday.

Here's Limon's recap for Day 9...
 

The UCF approach seems to be to create enough confusion among the important personnel on campus to diffuse the Plancher family's case. Part of the testimony today was to create a "Yes, they did- No, they didn't" know among the training staff as to whether or not they all knew Plancher was diagnosed with sickle cell trait.

The Plancher family attorneys seem confident that their side of the case will wrap up Friday...

Plancher Trial Day 4: Cardiologist Says "Sickle Cell Trait" Killed Plancher

((HT: Orlando Sentinel, Limon))

A cardiologist and expert in sudden deaths testified that Ereck Plancher died from complications of sickle cell trait and could not have died from a heart problem.

Dr. Barry J. Maron said that there is no evidence that a cardiac problem killed the 19-year-old after a preseason workout.

Attorneys for the UCF Athletics Association are arguing that the undetected heart problem, fibromuscular dysplasia, caused Plancher's death on March 18, 2008. Attorneys for Plancher's parents say the athletics association is responsible for his death, thus the wrongful death suit...

"The death event is not only sudden, it's virtually instantaneous or within a few seconds because it's due to an arrhythmia," Maron said in testimony. "… [It] ends life right then. That's how it works."

Here's UCF spokesman Grant Heston on the day...
 

UCF Athletics Director Keith Tribble was also on the stand getting the standard amount of grilling from Plancher family attorney Steve Yerrid. They were the only two to testify on the day due to the contentious nature of the dueling legal teams.

Here's Yerrid's soundbite on the day...
 

Plancher Trial Day 2: Opening Statements

Any juror in a certain Orlando, Florida courtroom gets to figure out whether University of Central Florida football player Ereck Plancher died during a workout because coaches pushed him too hard knowing he had a medical condition diagnosed as sickle cell trait or whether it was from an unknown heart defect.

Attorneys for the Plancher family claim the university never told their son that he tested positive for sickle cell. They also say coaches and trainers didn't follow proper emergency procedures after Plancher collapsed at practice.

An attorney for UCF said he would show that Plancher died from a congenital heart defect following a "moderate practice."

Here was UCF head coach George O'Leary addressing the early questions brought about by investigations- specifically, one by Mark Fainaru-Wada at ESPN...
((HT: ESPN))


Fainaru-Wada's necessary reading indicated that the school was aware of the condition Plancher had. Those results are here...

He also interviewed two players who were present at the morning workout where Plancher collapsed. James Jamison described two additional drills that the team had never done previously- including a form of gassers wedged in the normal conditioning drills. It was during that section that Plancher collapsed.

A lab report picked up by Fainaru-Wada and the "Outside The Lines" folks confirmed that Plancher was diagnosed with sickle cell trait. Plancher was tested again, and again he tested positive.

The HQ would really like to know where in the blue hell the University of Central Florida thinks they're going to win this case. The HQ also hopes the Planchers get their pound of flesh...

Houston Law Firm Investigating Ole Miss Player Death

((HT: MyFoxMemphis))

A Houston-based law firm says it is investigating the death of Ole Miss football player Bennie Abram.

The Lanier Law Firm says it has been hired by Abram's family.

Abram, a 20-year-old junior walk-on, died almost a year ago ((February 19th)) several hours after collapsing during an early morning workout on campus. An autopsy revealed Abram died from complications due to sickle cell trait.

Ole Miss was aware Abram had sickle cell trait, but can occasionally trigger severe problems after strenuous exercise. The university concluded all of its employees acted properly.

See the Ereck Plancher case at UCF if you've forgotten about this...

The NCAA made sickle cell trait testing mandatory for all Division I athletes last year.

Once again, see the Plancher case for any and all references...

Back at Itawamba Community College, the school where Abram played before Ole Miss, head coach Jon Williams talks about the Abram Legacy Award
((HT: ICCSportsNetwork))


Is it just the HQ, or is Ole Miss in a spot of trouble...???

Dodd: NCAA Recommends Sickle Cell Test

((HT: CBSSports/Dennis Dodd))

In what could become a landmark case for player safety, the NCAA and Rice University have settled a lawsuit brought by the family of a Rice football player who died in 2006 due to complications resulting from sickle cell trait ((Greg Lloyd is pictured, thanks Fox26Houston)).

As part of the settlement announced Sunday night, the NCAA has agreed for the first time to recommend to its membership that it test for the condition that affects one in 12 African-Americans. While the NCAA Sports Medicine Handbook has contained
language warning against the dangers of sickle cell trait for more than 30 years, the association had not formally recommended or endorsed testing, calling it an "institutional decision."

CBSSports.com reported last month that "exertional sickling" a complication of sickle cell trait, is now the leading cause of death of NCAA football players this decade.

The details of Lloyd's death were part of a document obtained exclusively by CBSSports.com detailing the rash of sickle cell traits deaths this decade.

"The most gratifying part about this case is I am very hopeful and optimistic we have seen the last death of a sickle cell athlete," said Eugene Egdorf, attorney for the Lloyd family.

As part of the settlement, Rice will help sponsor NCAA legislation to make sickle cell trait testing mandatory. Testing is relatively inexpensive -- $5 for the initial test and $30-$35 for a confirmation test.

An NCAA spokesman said, "Many of our schools already are testing, and while we can't mandate that test we can recommend that. ... An overall priority of ours is to ensure the health and well-being of our student-athletes."

Dale Lloyd II died in September 2006 following a workout at Rice that included 16 100-yard sprints. The Harris County (Texas) medical examiner stated the cause of death was sickle cell trait. Rice was sued for not testing for the trait. The NCAA was also blamed in the complaint for being "negligent for failing to warn ... about the known dangers and risks from sickle cell trait ..."

During intense exertion, red blood cells can "sickle," thus blocking blood vessels and posing a "grave risk" according to the National Athletic Trainer's Association. Experts in the medical field have speculated in the past they believe the NCAA stopped short of recommending testing because of legal concerns, such as racial profiling. While sickle cell trait affects 8 percent of the African-American population, Caucasians can have the condition but are less at risk.

Sickle cell trait deaths in football have become tragically more common in recent years. Five of the 10 deaths in Division I-A football this decade have been attributed to the condition. Since 2000, seven of the 19 non-traumatic deaths in all divisions have been linked to sickle cell trait. Almost half of such deaths in college football -- 15 since 1974 -- have occurred this decade.

A 2006 NATA survey showed 64 percent of Division I-A schools screen for sickle cell trait. In 2007, the NATA took a strong stance, releasing a consensus statement advising schools on how to deal with the condition.

Missouri recently began testing for sickle cell trait after settling with the parents of deceased player Aaron O'Neal for $2 million. O'Neal died in 2005 following an offseason workout due to exertional sickling. The family of Ereck Plancher is suing Central Florida. Plancher collapsed in March 2008 during offseason conditioning drills. His death also was attributed to sickle cell trait.

It is possible to compete safely with the condition. It is recommended that athletes with sickle cell trait be allowed to acclimate themselves gradually to strenuous drills.

Oklahoma's training and medical staff has been a leader in research of the condition and a testing advocate. Curtis Lofton found out he had sickle cell trait after being tested at Oklahoma. He went on to become an All-American linebacker as well as the 2007 Big 12 defensive player of the year. Lofton made several NFL all-rookie teams in 2008 after his first season with Atlanta.

Lofton was incredulous when told recently the NCAA didn't recommend testing.


"Really, are you serious? That's crazy," he said. "How many kids are going to have to die before they make these tests mandatory? I would highly recommend that you do tests. Save a life and save a lot of heartache."

All 50 states screen for the condition at birth, but in many cases families aren't told the results, or they forget or ignore them. The NFL Combine reportedly screens for the condition but obviously that doesn't cover all players who come into the league. In 2007, Steelers safety Ryan Clark had his spleen and gall bladder removed after complications due to sickle cell trait.

The college deaths have followed a familiar pattern: They occur in practice or conditioning instead of practice or a game, and involve overexertion.

"I'd like to think the NCAA thought it was the right thing to do," a person close to the Lloyd case said of the settlement. "I would have liked to think the NCAA lawsuit was the driving force in getting this thing done."

Going forward, the NCAA will produce an educational video on the dangers of sickle cell trait. It will also donate $50,000 to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America and $10,000 to the Dale R. Lloyd II scholarship fund.

Rice now tests all athletes for sickle cell trait. Lloyd's coach at the time, Todd Graham, was a defendant in the lawsuit and is covered by the settlement. Graham is currently at Tulsa.

Here's coverage from our friends at Fox26 in Houston...
FOSG Mark Berman has the report...