The ongoing Ereck Plancher wrongful death trial saw Central Florida Knights head coach George O'Leary take the stand Wednesday. The former Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets coach had been accused earlier in the trial by former player Anthony Davis of denying water and trainers to Plancher as the wide receiver collapsed during a particularly intense practice -- and even shouting obscenities at Plancher as he was moments away from death and telling other players not to help.
Ugh. True or not, that's nothing that anybody ever wants to be associated with. What did O'Leary have to say?
He's denied seeing Plancher in distress, that the workout was excessive and that water was ordered to be removed. He's also said he knew Plancher had sickle cell.
UCFAA attorney Dan Shapiro has appeared to focus on elements of the trial like specific lines of questioning about O'Leary's background and how much certain witnesses were paid for their time, based on reports.
For those with good memories of O'Leary's successful career in Atlanta, this is horrible stuff. Still, culpability, if there is any, would likely go beyond just O'Leary himself, since Plancher's sickle cell trait has itself been the subject of much questioning so far in the trial. Plancher's parents have argued that O'Leary's staff was not aware of the player's condition, while UCF's lawyers are contending that the trait did not contribute to his death.
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