Anthony Davis, a former University of Central Florida student and athlete on the football team, testified Monday, recalling the day his fellow player and close friend, Ereck Plancher died.
Plancher passed away on March 18, 2008 after a routine preseason workout. Doctors discovered Plancher had the symptoms of sickle cell trait, a blood disorder.
"We were close," Davis said. "Were were the newbies on the team ... We stuck it out. We were there for each other." Davis said from the moment they enrolled to the day Ereck died, they were inseparable.
Davis, 25, who said he and Ereck "pushed each other like brothers," described this practice as the most intense one he has done, having exceeding his expectations of a usual workout, with activities not mentioned to the team and that they never participated in before, such as one exercise labeled as the "Gauntlet."
He said Coach George O'Leary pressured the athletes that day, with no breaks, trainers or water provided. "He did say, 'I want the water out of here,' " Davis said.
"100% no slacking, no walking, no nothing," explained Davis, adding that the coach would "get on you" if violating the rules.
Ereck was collapsing, and his eyes were rolling in the back of his head, Davis recalled, a point where he tried to help him up, but O'Leary stopped him and scolded the athletes using profanity. "You all have to go through it," O'Leary allegedly yelled.
"He was angry at us, like we did something wrong," said Davis. "It caught us by surprise." But said he trudged on, to make it to the end "together as team."
He remembered Ereck continuing on. "He didn't mumble a word ... He stuck it out ... That's the type of individual Ereck was; he came in like that. He did everything instructed," he added.
Davis said to his surprise, because Ereck was usually the a fast player, he ended last in the activity, and at that moment all eyes were on Ereck, struggling to run across the field.
Once he finally made it, O'Leary screamed at him, calling him a "disgrace," questioning his lack of effort, and actually stated that he did not meet the standards for a scholarship. At that moments, Davis and fellow athletes helped Ereck lift his head up, and heard not a single word from him, and no help from the coach, who demanded for them to do jumping jacks.
"You can tell [Ereck] was out of it," said Davis. "He wasn't doing the full jumping jacks like he'd normally do ... That's when he fell." He described Ereck's arms to be "like jell-o" because of the lack of strength he had, and that's when Ereck Plancher collapsed for the final time.
Using profanity O'Leary instructed the players to get Ereck up and proceed with their day, and still no authority to his assistance. The athletes did as such, heading to the locker room, where they heard the ambulance, and at that moment, Davis led the team inti a prayer.
Later that day, Davis received a phone call from an athletic trainer advising him to go to the Nicholson Fieldhouse, where Coach O'Leary informed all of the players that Ereck Plancer had died.
He also added, "Nobody cares about you other than the people in this room ... He reassured us that we wouldn't hear of this again," but said he was eventually interviewed by an attorney while an unknown man by the name of Manny, Davis believed to be a good friend of O'Leary's, was in the room.
"He stood in the corner like he was a bodyguard like I better watch what I say or he will go back to Coach O'Leary," said Davis.
Coach O'Leary is expected to testify Thursday of this week.
In his testimony, Davis described Ereck as "humble," stating, "He did anything you asked from him ... Any parent or coach would want him ... He put himself last." He said that is was especially evident in the amount of people that attended the young man's funeral.
"He had moral standards ... well-mannered ... Someone you wanted your son or daughter to be around," he added, remembering his fellow athlete and good friend.
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