Cal admits negligence in 2014 death of football player Ted Agu

The University of California admitted to its negligence playing a large part in the 2014 death of defensive lineman Ted Agu.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that Cal acknowledged its liability following a lawsuit from Agu’s parents. Agu, a walk-on, died after an intense team conditioning workout that involved sprinting up and down a hill outside the team’s stadium. His parents sued for wrongful death.

The university said in a statement that its no-contest in the liability case will allow them to shift the focus toward appropriate compensation for Agu’s family.

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From the Chronicle:

The testimony, given in confidential depositions, also detailed allegations that campus officials did not provide the Alameda County coroner’s office with all police and medical records after Agu died, including some that indicated he had sickle cell trait — a blood abnormality that experts believe can lead to death under extreme exertion.

...The depositions, obtained by UC Berkeley’s Investigative Reporting Program and shared with The Chronicle, offer contradictory narratives of the hours leading up to Agu’s death. Cal staffers say they came to Agu’s aid as soon as they noticed him falter and had to forcibly stop him from completing the workout. But teammates say he was visibly struggling for an extended period and fell on multiple occasions before he finally collapsed and team officials intervened.

Head coach Sonny Dykes and strength and conditioning coach Damon Harrington did not respond to the Chronicle’s requests for comment.

You can read the full report here.

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