​The parents of a Bucknell University football player who died after collapsing on the first day of training camp in 2024 expressed their appreciation on Tuesday for the Pennsylvania attorney general’s decision to bring criminal charges against the strength and conditioning coach who led that session. Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr. was a freshman in July 2024 when Mark Kulbis directed him and his teammates to perform 100 “up-downs,” commonly known as burpees, along with full-body plank drills, according to the attorney general’s office. Dickey had sickle-cell trait, a genetic condition that can heighten the risk of serious injury or death after extreme exertion.
“We’re at the point where we’re just glad that someone is being held responsible for our son’s death,” Calvin Dickey Sr., of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “We just want to see the process through, and we’re going to leave it to the attorney general to continue following the evidence.” Prosecutors announced Monday that Kulbis had been charged with felony aggravated hazing and misdemeanor counts of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing. In response, Kulbis’s attorney, Barbara Zemlock, issued a written statement saying, “While the death of Calvin Dickey is tragic, Mark Kulbis did not contribute to it and is not responsible for it. The strength and conditioning program that was implemented was appropriate and in accordance with the training that Mr. Kulbis received, and with applicable standards.”
Sickle-cell trait, diagnosed through a blood test, does not usually affect daily life, but it can lead to reduced blood flow and muscle breakdown after intense exertion, dehydration, or high body temperatures. In very rare cases, these factors can cause collapse and death. Since other deaths involving athletes with sickle-cell trait, the NCAA began in 2010 requiring new Division I athletes to be tested for the condition and to alert coaches that athletes with it should progressively increase intensity during training while ensuring sufficient rest and recovery.
Dickey stood 6 feet 5 inches tall and weighed about 300 pounds. He had grown up participating in various sports and, by his junior year of high school, chose to focus on football, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines, which typically meant substantial playing time. In a federal lawsuit filed against Bucknell last year, his parents said they did not know he had sickle-cell trait until he underwent mandatory screening just weeks before training camp. Calvin Dickey Sr. said that the day before camp was slated to start, he had received assurances from the offensive line coach that his son would be protected.
According to the lawsuit, Dickey Jr. began to struggle and eventually passed out while performing exercises Kulbis had assigned as punishment for players who did not perform drills correctly. He was hospitalized, and the case drew national attention to the role of sickle-cell trait in athletic training and the responsibilities of coaching staff to manage such risks. The Bucknell controversy touches on broader debates about hazing, athlete safety, and the oversight of strength and conditioning programs in collegiate sports.
The district attorney’s office and investigators have emphasized that the charges reflect concerns about the sequence of events surrounding Dickey’s collapse and the potential hazards of demanding strenuous punishing drills on athletes with medical risks. The university, for its part, has stated that it remains committed to student safety and to reviewing its training protocols in light of the incident.
As the legal process proceeds, Dickey’s family continues to seek accountability and ensure that their son’s death prompts changes that might prevent similar tragedies in the future. They have indicated their desire to see the case through to the end, trusting the attorney general to pursue justice based on the evidence presented.