Cal defensive end Ted Agu tragically died when he collapsed after a conditioning drill in February, and based on this photo from JB Long of Pac-12 Networks, the program will honor him at Memorial Stadium at its home-opener against Sacramento State on Saturday.
First thing you see arriving for @CalFootball home opener today. http://ift.tt/1qpmedi
— JB Long (@JB_Long) September 6, 2014 Agu, just 21 at the time of his passing, was a backup defensive end who saw action in seven games and registered six tackles for the Golden Bears in 2013. He started his career as a walk-on, but eventually earned a scholarship.
On August 5, his family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the university’s Regents in response to Agu’s death, which occurred February 7. According to a statement from the family, Cal trainers noticed that Agu was having trouble breathing at around 6 a.m. He was placed on a cart, where he was said to be alert. He was then taken back to Cal’s stadium where he collapsed. He was given CPR and a defibrillator was used, but Agu, who had a sickle cell trait, later died at Alta Bates Medical Center in Berkeley.
“During the course of the conditioning drill, Agu experienced dizziness, shortness of breath, loss of balance, and other signs of extreme fatigue that were clearly symptomatic of the sickling process,” the release said. “Despite the symptoms which clearly could and should have been observed, UCB coaches and trainers failed to immediately come to Agu’s assistance.”
The Alameda County coroner’s office said that Agu died of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), or excessive thickening of the heart muscle. HCM is an inherited disease, but schools are not required to test athletes for it like they are with sickle cell trait. Cal was aware that Agu had sickle cell.
In response, Cal’s athletic department said it could not discuss a student’s medical history, but it did say that its medical staff “reacted promptly,” but because of Agu’s hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, “there was little anyone could have done to save him.”
Agu would have been a fifth-year senior this season.
(H/T College Spun )
For more Cal news, visit GoldenBearReport.com.
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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!
From Dr. Saturday - NCAAF - Yahoo Sports - Cal honors former player Ted Agu, who passed away in February (Photo)
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