Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., a freshman on the Bucknell Bison football team, died two days after collapsing during a July 2024 training session in Pennsylvania. The incident occurred on the first day of preseason practice when Coach Mark Kulbis ordered the squad to perform a series of 100 "up-downs" and full-body plank drills as a form of punishment.
Legal Repercussions and Institutional Response
Prosecutors have charged Kulbis with felony aggravated hazing, misdemeanor involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing. Bail was set at $10,000, and Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday described the hazing as intentional and deliberate. The charges stem from a series of actions that ignored the athlete’s known medical condition.
Dickey had been diagnosed with sickle-cell trait, a genetic condition that can precipitate severe muscle breakdown, dehydration, and exertional rhabdomyolysis under extreme physical stress. The NCAA requires new athletes to be screened for the trait and advises coaches to modify conditioning for those identified. Despite this guidance, Kulbis proceeded with the high‑intensity drills, a decision that later formed the core of the criminal case.
The Dickey family has filed a civil lawsuit against Bucknell University, Kulbis, and several school officials, arguing that the athlete’s death was completely avoidable. Michael Caspino, the family’s attorney, emphasized that athletes with sickle-cell trait should not be subjected to exhaustive workouts on their first day of practice, a principle that the NCAA explicitly endorses.
Bucknell University has cooperated fully with the attorney general’s office throughout the investigation. The institution released a statement reaffirming its commitment to student‑athlete safety and pledging to review its conditioning protocols in light of the tragedy. The case has reignited national discussion about the responsibilities of coaching staff and the adequacy of existing NCAA safeguards.