College Being Sued Over Football Player Death

Was the University of Central Florida responsible for Ereck Planchard's death?

On Tuesday, March 18, members of the University of Central Florida football team begin an hour-long weightlifting session on the first workout after spring break. What happened after that is up for debate but it resulted in the death of Ereck Plancher.

His death has brought into question UCF's handling of the situation. Ereck's parents have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit to get to the bottom of their tragedy. Was the school at fault? It is yet to be determined.

The coaches and trainers knew of his sickle-cell trait, which can restrict the flow of blood to vital parts of the body during high intensity workouts. When oxygen is reduced in the blood, red blood cells change shape from round to oval. This change causes the red blood cells to clog arteries.

Former teammate James Jamison, stated that UCF Coach George O'Leary singled out Ereck when he was unable to continue the football workout. The coaching staff says it was not a rigorous workout but some players disagreed completely.

Two former players who participated in the workout agreed to speak to "Outside the Lines" on the record, though reluctantly:

• The school did not begin interviewing players about the incident until more than a month after it happened; even then, some players with relevant information were never questioned.

"They never tell us really how he died," Plancher's Haitian-born father, Enock, says. "They only tell us he collapse and died. That's all they tell us."

On July 17, the Orange County Medical Examiner released its final autopsy report. It stated that Ereck's death was linked to sickle-cell trait, which "predisposed him to sickling of the red blood cells during periods of physical stress." Two weeks later, the Planchers informed the school of their intent to sue, alleging Ereck "experienced exhaustion, dizziness, shortness of breath, and other signs of extreme fatigue that were ignored by trainers and/or coaches of the University of Central Florida." The Planchers say they hope to prevent other families from confronting the same pain they have endured.

Shortly after Plancher's death, O'Leary told his players to avoid talking to the media about the incident, according to Jamison, Reams, other former players and one current player who requested anonymity. UCF employs a document titled "Catastrophic Incident Guideline," which lays out actions to be taken in the wake of an athlete's death or severe injury. Regarding responsibilities of various personnel, it calls on the head coach to "encourage other student-athletes to not discuss the incident."

Now, with the lawsuit filed, coaches, players and trainers are reluctant to talk due to recommendation from legal advisers.