When Nicole Dickey learned that Mark Kulbis, the former strength and conditioning coach at Bucknell University, was facing criminal charges linked to the death of her son, Calvin “C.J.” Dickey Jr., following a football practice in 2024, she expressed her gratitude for the legal action taken after an extended period of uncertainty. In an interview with “CBS Mornings,” she shared her feelings, stating, “We’ve been living in this space for months and months now, so what I felt was just appreciation.”
On Monday, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced that Kulbis is being charged with felony aggravated hazing, alongside misdemeanor charges of involuntary manslaughter, reckless endangerment, and hazing. Prosecutors allege that Kulbis subjected Dickey Jr. to rigorous workouts even after being informed that the freshman athlete had a sickle-cell trait, which increased his susceptibility to intense physical exertion.
The NCAA mandates that all incoming athletes undergo screening for sickle-cell trait, and its sports medicine guidelines indicate that exercising with this condition is generally safe when appropriate measures, such as gradual cool-downs and moderated workout intensity, are implemented.
Sunday stated, “The facts show this defendant received information about C.J.’s health condition, along with training about NCAA anti-hazing standards, and disregarded that information. This is an extraordinary tragedy, worsened by the fact that C.J.’s death was preventable.”
Reports indicate that the workout associated with Dickey Jr.’s demise involved 100 “up-downs.” Allegedly, Kulbis only sought assistance after Dickey Jr. lost consciousness, despite showing signs of distress during the exercises. Tragically, he passed away in the hospital two days later.
“We thought we could take him to the hospital, and they would, you know, patch him up, and in a couple of days, he’d be out, and we just keep moving on — nope,” remarked his father, Calvin Dickey Sr.
Approximately six months after Dickey Jr.’s death, Kulbis departed from Bucknell. His legal counsel asserts that the coach should not be held accountable for the athlete’s passing.
Despite their grief, the Dickey family is determined to foster change from their tragedy. They established the C.J. Dickey Foundation, which aims to raise awareness and educate others about sickle-cell trait. Additionally, they filed a separate civil lawsuit against Bucknell last April.
“This is an opportunity for education and awareness,” Nicole Dickey noted. “It’s also an opportunity for programs to self-reflect.”
She added, “This is not the time for silence. I do not want to see another C.J.”
