BERKELEY, Calif. ― Attorneys representing the family of former California football player Ted Agu are planning to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the Regents of the University of California.
Agu died following an offseason training run Feb. 7. Los Angeles-based firm Panish, Shea & Boyle said in a news release Monday that Cal’s training staff took too long to respond to Agu’s symptoms of “extreme fatigue” during the run.
A news conference is scheduled for Tuesday at the Alameda County Courthouse in Oakland to announce the suit.
“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 law firm said in its release. “Despite the symptoms which clearly could and should have been observed, UCB coaches and trainers failed to immediately come to Agu’s assistance.
“It was only after Agu struggled and encountered obvious difficulties for a significant period of time that intervention occurred and he was placed on a cart and taken back towards the stadium where he collapsed for the last time.”
The release mentioned sickling, which would indicate Agu had sickle cell trait. Asked to clarify Agu’s medical condition, family attorney Robert Glassman said more details of the case would be announced at Tuesday’s news conference.
Cal’s athletic department said in a statement that it could not comment on the pending litigation because officials haven’t seen the lawsuit.
