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TU football coach Graham to face wrongful death lawsuit

Todd Graham
 
By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer
Published: 9/23/2008  1:13 PM
Last Modified: 9/23/2008  10:05 PM


Documents: Read the petition documents from the case.


Tulsa football coach Todd Graham will be named in a wrongful death lawsuit in Texas state district court along with Rice University, the NCAA and others by the parents of Dale Lloyd II, according to a press release from the Houston-based Lanier Law Firm.

Lloyd, a football player at Rice, collapsed on Sept. 24, 2006, following a conditioning workout and died the next day. Graham was the Rice head coach at the time.

Tulsa sports information director Don Tomkalski said Graham would have no comment on legal matters.

A picture of Lloyd has hung in Graham’s office since he returned to coach at TU in 2007. Shortly after the 19-year-old’s death, he said, “Last week was really difficult. I’ve never been through that – losing a player – in 19 years of coaching.”

Also included as defendants will be Rice assistant coaches (unnamed in the press release), and nutritional supplement providers Optimal Nutrition Systems of Rock Hill, S.C., and Cytosport Inc. of Benecia, Calif.

According to the press release, Lloyd ran 16 100-yard sprints under Graham's supervision. Lloyd was having trouble breathing and was in obvious pain while running his 100-yard sprints. The coaching staff ordered other players not to help him as he was forced to complete the sprints, the press release alleges.

The lawsuit will contend that Lloyd and some teammates were given nutritional supplement shakes that contained creatine, which can cause side effects such as dehydration, headaches, kidney failure and rhabdomyoloysis -- a breakdown of muscle fibers that causes the release of harmful substances into the blood.

The lawsuit contends that Rice should have conducted a blood test on Lloyd to determine if his body could tolerate the supplements. According to a medical examiner, Lloyd died of "acute excertional rhabdomyoloysis secondary to sickle cell trait."

Attorneys for the Lloyd family questioned the medical screening policies for African American student-athletes at university athletic programs. According to the lawsuit, one in 12 African-Americans carry the sickle-cell trait. Lloyd was African-American.

None of the assistant football coaches who returned to TU with Graham will be named in the lawsuit.

By ERIC BAILEY World Sports Writer

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COMMENTS 
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12 comments have been made for this team so far. Tell us what you think below!

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Report Comment
Andy Devine, Tulsa (9/23/2008 4:18:34 PM)
In Regard to this news of the lawsuit, I feel we as readers should not comment on matters where we do not have all the fatcs at our disposal.
Report Comment
hootie, Tulsa (9/23/2008 4:49:22 PM)
It also shameful for people to push people when he was showing the signs that he was showing. I know it is football but you still have keep someone's health inmind.
Report Comment
notdem, muskogee (9/23/2008 4:51:01 PM)
Andy
look up sickle cell trait.
heat exhaustion can cause death
one of three reasons
1. no one new
2. kid new and kept secret
3. school new and didn't care
number three is highly unlikely, coming from a black school 35 years ago, no school or coach would take the chance on a kid with sickle cell.
Report Comment
BayouGirl, Owasso (9/23/2008 5:27:50 PM)
I am sorry for the loss this family has suffered. I also am sorry for the loss the coaches and team went through. And clearly this report is from one side of the situation only. But, I would like to know why the school should be responsible for the sickle cell testing. If your child is an athlete, the parents should have checked out all health risks prior to him ever playing.
Report Comment
Lance-a-lot, Tulsa (9/23/2008 7:01:14 PM)
I can spell "knew".

He wasn't a car.

Report Comment
notdem, muskogee (9/23/2008 9:00:42 PM)
please excuse me "spellin cop"
I didn't hit the k key, they weren't complete sentences either
so either sue me or kiss my misspelled again
Report Comment
NOLA gal, (9/23/2008 9:58:26 PM)
I'm sorry for this young man's family but maybe they are going after the wrong people. Your family doctor has to give the all clear before you even start to play.
Report Comment
Ralph, (9/23/2008 10:07:43 PM)
I agree with Andy Devine, we don't know the entire story. But most lawsuits are brought by people who will not take accountability for their own actions.
Report Comment
Paula, Midtown (9/23/2008 10:37:28 PM)
I agree with notdem, no one knew, not the kid, the parents, the family doctor, or the school doctor. no one is financially responsible.
Report Comment
Ignatz, Broken Bow (9/24/2008 7:56:20 AM)
If it is true that those with this trait can have fatal reaction to phsyical exertion then it is inexcusable that athletes wouldn't be tested for it IF that high a percentage carry the trait. As long as we've known about sickle-cell this doesn't make sense. Some info is missing here. The "kid" was 19. He could have walked off the field. Hard to believe this condition didn't rise up earlier with him at some earlier stage of his athletic career so that he was aware of his limits. Hope Coach Graham not found liable.
Report Comment
Have that, America (9/24/2008 11:08:30 AM)
it was removed once...but I'll say it again...

its shameful when people try to profit off of someones death when it was an obvious accident.

its disrespectful to the memory of the departed.

I played football for a grand total of 18 years of my life...I've seen coaches push people that were tired, couldn't stand up, puking from running...and had them punch out one more sprint...

this isn't a case of abbuse...its a case of a coach being a coach and pushing his kids to succeed...it is just an unfortunate accident as to what happened with this young man.

I pray for the family and their loss...but I cannot condone a course of action looking to put a price tag on that loss and wanting payment for it. its like saying "my childs life was worth exactly XXX ammount of $$$"

Report Comment
JL, (9/24/2008 11:55:31 AM)
This is very unfortunate. I can tell you from experience though. I played college football even though I was told not because I had a heart condition. I turned out fine and have kind of grown out of it, but not all are that fortunate. If he had any bloodwork done at he knew of his condition but did not disclose it and/or decided to play anyway. He is also responsible for what he puts into his body. They didnt hold him down and force creatine down his throat. When athletes get tested for steroids or performance enhancing drugs and come back positive they dont kick the coach out, they kick out the kid. One thing I have also found about supplements is that every supplement reacts to everyone different. Ok here I go chasing a rabbit but both ON and Cytosport have really good proteins. Very delicious especially muscle milk.
 

 
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