The parents of a Bucknell football player who died two days after collapsing during a team practice in 2024 filed a wrongful death lawsuit on Wednesday against the university in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, according to a copy of the complaint.
The parents of Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr., who was an 18-year-old freshman when he died July 12, allege the university failed to take action that could have prevented their son’s death, according to the complaint filed with the Court of Common Pleas of Philadelphia County.
Dickey’s death occurred two days after his first practice as an offensive lineman with the Bucknell football team, a Division I program that competes in the Football Championship Subdivision.
The complaint characterizes Dickey’s death as “completely avoidable’’ and says he died from medical complications stemming from sickle cell trait and rhabdomyolysis.
“Rhabdomyolysis is a rare muscle injury where your muscles break down,’’ according to the Cleveland Clinic. “This is a life-threatening condition that can happen after an injury or excessive exercise without rest.’’
Studies have found that “sickle cell trait elevates the risks of exertional rhabdomyolysis and death,” according to the National Institutes of Health.
On June 28, Dickey completed the NCAA-mandated sickle cell testing, which revealed he had sickle cell trait, and his medical records were uploaded electronically to Bucknell’s medical reporting platform, according to the complaint.
Two weeks prior to Dickey reporting to Bucknell, according to the complaint, Bucknell trainer Rayna Murphy called Dickey’s mother, Nicole, “to discuss CJ’s positive sickle cell trait test. Nicole was assured that adequate precautions would be taken to accommodate this condition.”
But Bucknell did not take the necessary precautions, Dickey’s…
Source link : https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2025/04/02/bucknell-football-player-parents-wrongful-death-lawsuit/82780016007/
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Publish date : 2025-04-02 23:09:00
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