Testimony spurs water debate

Witness testimonies in the Ereck Plancher wrongful death trial against the UCF Athletics Association (UCFAA) continues to conflict with each other this week, especially in relation to water and athletic trainers.

Head coach George O'Leary, wide receivers coach David Kelly, running back Ronnie Weaver, former wide receiver Jamar Newsome and former wide receiver and team captain Rocky Ross have all testified that water and athletic trainers were present during the March 18, 2008 team conditioning drill.

Plancher, who was a wide receiver on the team, died following that day's drill. The cause of death, as determined by the medical examiner, was dysrhythmia due to acute exertional rhabdomyolysis with sickle cell trait, a trait his parents testified they didn't know he had.

When O'Leary testified June 23, he said he did not ask for water or trainers to be removed.

Former student athletic trainer Jenna Earles, who was the first person called to the witness stand Wednesday, June 29, also testified that O'Leary did not ask for water and trainers to be removed.

"There was both water and trainers in the [Nicholson Fieldhouse] the entire time we were in there," said Newsome when he testified on Tuesday, June 28.

Newsome also said players had to wait until they ran through the drill twice before they could get water.

Kelly, who also testified on Tuesday, June 28, said coaches never conduct any physical activity with student-athletes without medical personnel or water present.

Ross and Newsome both testified that water, though positioned far away from where they were running drills, was present at all times that day.

"I don't remember which one [I drank from] because there were so many water bottles available," said Ross, who now works as a graduate assistant in the recruiting of athletes.

Whether it was available or not, Newsome said "you don't get water during a drill."

Davis testified water and trainers were not readily available to players during the conditioning drill.

Watters, who testified on June 24, said that it was not unusual for O'Leary to remove water and trainers from the Nicholson Fieldhouse in an effort to "increase mental toughness."

Something the players who testifed on Tuesday all brought up was the difference in Plancher's abilities as seen on March 18 compared to other workouts.

Former defensive back Darin Baldwin, whose testimony was read by UCFAA attorneys Tuesday, June, 28, said every player did the same workout that day.

"It was a regular day, regular workout … there wasn't nothing spectacular about it," Baldwin said. "Ereck was running slow that day."

In addition to the testimony of Earles, the jury also saw video testimony of Robert Jackson; hematologist Dr. Martin Steinberg was also called to the stand.

Jackson, who was the only certified athletic trainer present on March 18, testified that even if he had known of the trait on that day, he would not have treated Plancher any differently.

Steinberg, who has been studying sickle cell disease for more than 40 years, said people with sickle cell trait do not have the same complications as people with sickle cell disease.

"Sickle cell trait is a benign condition," Steinberg said. "It is not a disease."

Veronica Figueroa contributed to this story.