Former Bucknell University coach charged in death of football player : NPR

Key Points:

• Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., a freshman football player at Bucknell University with sickle-cell trait, died in July 2024 after collapsing during a training session led by strength coach Mark Kulbis.
• Kulbis, who was aware of Dickey's medical condition and had received training on it, instructed Dickey and other players to perform strenuous exercises, which contributed to Dickey's collapse and subsequent death from exertional rhabdomyolysis.
• The Pennsylvania Attorney General charged Kulbis with felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing, citing deliberate disregard for Dickey's health vulnerabilities.
• Dickey's family filed a lawsuit against Bucknell University, Kulbis, and other officials, alleging the death was avoidable and that proper protocols for athletes with sickle-cell trait were not followed.
• Bucknell University has cooperated with the investigation but declined further comment due to ongoing criminal and civil proceedings; the NCAA mandates sickle-cell trait testing to prevent such incidents under extreme physical exertion.