Key facts
- Parents of Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., a Bucknell University freshman football player who died in July 2024, appreciate criminal charges against coach Mark Kulbis.
- Kulbis faces felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing.
- Dickey Jr. collapsed during training camp after being assigned 100 "up-downs" and plank drills.
- Dickey Jr. had sickle-cell trait, a condition that can be exacerbated by extreme exertion.
- The coach's attorney stated Kulbis is not responsible for the death and followed appropriate training standards.
The parents of Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., a freshman football player at Bucknell University who died in July 2024 after collapsing during training camp, have expressed appreciation for the criminal charges filed against strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis. The Pennsylvania attorney general's office announced Monday that Kulbis faces felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor charges including involuntary manslaughter and reckless endangerment.
Dickey Jr. collapsed during a training session where he and other players were instructed to perform 100 “up-downs” and full-body plank drills. He had sickle-cell trait, a condition that can lead to serious health risks, including death, following extreme exertion. His parents, Calvin Dickey Sr. and Nicole Dickey, stated they are glad someone is being held responsible for their son's death and will let the attorney general's office follow the evidence.
Kulbis's attorney, Barbara Zemlock, issued a statement asserting that her client did not contribute to Dickey Jr.'s death and that the training program was appropriate and met applicable standards. Sickle-cell trait, while usually asymptomatic, can cause complications like muscle breakdown and decreased blood flow after intense physical activity, dehydration, or high body temperatures, in rare instances leading to collapse and death. The NCAA has required sickle-cell trait testing for new Division I athletes since 2010 and mandates that coaches manage training intensity and recovery for affected athletes.
Dickey Jr., who was 6-foot-5 and nearly 300 pounds, had a passion for football and planned to use his scholarship for a pharmacy education. His parents filed a federal lawsuit against Bucknell last year, unaware he had sickle-cell trait until a mandatory screening weeks before camp. They received assurances his son would be protected before camp began. The lawsuit alleges Dickey Jr. began struggling and passed out during exercises assigned as punishment for incorrect drill performance. He died two days after being hospitalized.
Criminal charges against coaches in such cases are rare. The article cites two other instances: a Georgia girls basketball coach charged with murder after a player's heatstroke death in 2019, and a Kentucky high school football coach acquitted of charges in a 2009 heatstroke death. Since their son's death, the Dickeys have established a foundation to raise awareness about sickle cell trait in athletes and promote student-athlete health, offering scholarships and a lineman training program.