Report: Cal admits negligence a factor in death of football player Ted Agu
The University of California admitted negligence was a factor in the 2014 death of football player Ted Agu following a football workout.
•
1 min read
The University of California admitted that negligence was a factor in the 2014 death of football player Ted Agu during a supervised training exercise, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Cal declined to contest liability in the case after testimony in a lawsuit filed by Agu's parents against the school following his death, which they claimed was from a strenuous football workout. According to the Chronicle, Cal said in a statement that declining to contest liability would allow the legal proceedings to focus on finding "appropriate compensation for the family."
Agu's lawyers stated that the admission of liability was "not enough."
“Saying that their wrongdoing solely caused this young man’s death is certainly not enough,” said Steve Yerrid, one of the attorneys. “There needs to be reform and meaningful change.”
Agu's death was initially ruled to be caused by hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition that causes a thickening of the heart muscle that can result in cardiac arrest. However, after being reviewed by doctors following accounts of possible negligence by the staff, the cause of death was amended to note that he may have died due to having a sickle cell trait.
To die from the sickle cell trait, an athlete must be pushed beyond their normal exercise limits, which is one of the key points of the lawsuit. The description of the workout and what led to Agu's death differ from the players present and the coaching staff supervising.
According to players present, Agu appeared to be struggling and fell on multiple occasions during the workout. He was allegedly not offered aid immediately by the trainer, who was looking on.
Head trainer Robert Jackson's testimony differed from that of the players, and he claimed Agu never collapsed and he never noticed him struggling until the final lap. Jackson said he called for activities to stop after he approached Agu with his teammates huddled around him. He then claims he took Agu to a golf cart to bring him down the hill, and as they approached the stadium, Agu became unresponsive, at which point CPR was attempted.
