UCF to Pay $10 Million for Football Player's Death

The jury hearing the case of Ereck Plancher, the Central Florida player who died during a pre-practice conditioning workout in 2008, returned a verdict of guilty on a charge of negligence against the UCF Athletic Association, determining that it failed to do everything possible to save the player's life.

The jury awarded Plancher's parents, who had turned down a settlement offer, $10 million. It also failed to find the athletic department guilty of gross negligence.

The case garnered national attention after several players went public to describe the intensity of the workout, and the fact that Plancher was clearly struggling at the end of it When he fell at the end of some sprints and some teammates had to help him up, coaches yelled at them to stop.

UCF coach George O'Leary initially understated the intensity of the workouts and the school didn't interview players about the incident until more than a month after Plancher's death.

UCF lawyers had tried to prove that Plancher's suffering from sickle cell trait had led to his sudden death. Attorneys for the players family called experts who testified that there is "no evidence-based proof" that sickle cell trait caused the death.

Posted on July 1, 2011 by Eric Crawford ---Courier-Journel