Back in March of this year, on the 18th to be exact, University of Central Florida (UCF) freshman wide receiver Ereck Plancher died after a conditioning workout, continuing the ugly trend of amateur and professional athletes dying on the fields they love.
Many stories have been written about Plancher since his death. The 19-year-old from Naples is described by those close to him as a loyal son, a great friend, and a hard worker. In short, Ereck Plancher was loved by many—and for all the right reasons.
And while it would never hurt to write another story about this remarkable young man, I will not attempt to do that. Words and memories—which the Orlando Sentinel has graciously chronicled in written and video form—from Ereck Plancher’s friends are much more meaningful.
Sadly, this will be about Plancher’s coach, George O’Leary.
If you have not seen this story, there are several issues at play surrounding Plancher’s death. But these are the two items that seem to loom the largest.
1.) Plancher came to UCF with a diagnosed case of sickle-cell trait, which hampers cells from carrying oxygen.
2.) Ereck Plancher was gasping for breath and staggering moments before his collapse and eventual death.
UCF at first denied knowing about Plancher’s sickle-cell trait. Unfortunately, it turns out they did.
Second, O’Leary and his coaching staff have gone on record saying the workout the players went through the day of Plancher’s death was not rigorous. Speaking anonymously, several UCF players have insisted much to the contrary. The players claim the workout was extremely intense—and that Plancher was visibly and clearly unable to keep up with his teammates.
Call me crazy, but I tend to believe the players, especially with the way O’Leary and UCF have handled—or perhaps mishandled would be more appropriate—the situation. The entire scenario doesn’t add up, and it makes UCF look foolish and terribly afraid to admit the facts.
UCF wants national exposure, but not this kind.
And George O’Leary is leading the charge, making things worse with each passing minute.
Like any good paper, the Orlando Sentinel did its own investigation into Plancher’s death. Because so many questions simply were not answered by UCF, the paper published a handful of critical columns—and rightfully so.
To show his disdain for the paper’s writers, O’Leary stubbornly refused to speak with any representative from the Sentinel
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