(File Photo of a Gavel)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Harrisburg, PA) Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that all charges were held for court on Friday against a strength coach from Bucknell University regarding the death of a freshman football recruit that happened on July 12th, 2024.

Calvin “CJ” Dickey, Jr. of Florida, was on campus on July 10th, 2024, which was the first day of his freshman football practice.

He was directed to do extensive calisthenics, which put him in risk of death because of his Sickle Cell trait.

Prosecutors presented testimony on Friday that Mark Kulbis, who was Bucknell University’s strength and conditioning coach at the time, subjected Dickey to hazing, even after he was made aware of Dickey’s medical condition and received training from the university on the NCAA standards regarding hazing and Sickle Cell trait and state law.

After the hearing was over, a magisterial district judge ordered that charges of felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing would be bound over for county court.

The investigation into this incident showed that, before Dickey’s first-day practice on July 10th, 2024, Kulbis subjected Dickey, as well as other players, to 100 “up-downs” and several full-body plank drills, which are both considered extraneous calisthenic exercises. 

This was done in spite of training and direction from other coaches that such exercises were not appropriate or safe for use as part of training.

Dickey was treated at an area hospital.

However, Dickey died on July 12th, 2024.

An autopsy determined that Dickey’s death was caused by Kulbis subjecting him to the exercises in combination with Dickey’s body weight, exertional rhabdomyolysis and Sickle Cell trait.