AJC > Sports > Tech > Blog > Archives > 2008 > April > 11 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USPlayer’s death becomes controversial for UCF, O’Leary
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Former Georgia Tech football coach George O’Leary is once again in the middle of a controversy, this time over the workout his Central Florida team went through before the death of a player.
Let me preface this by saying what we don’t know is still much more extensive than what we do know. The autopsy results aren’t in. But O’Leary’s credibility is being called into question with a story in the Orlando Sentinel with four players saying the workout was far more intense than O’Leary and his staff have said and that the player showed signs of distress. O’Leary, the players said, cursed at the player for lack of effort.
Here’s the link.
The story raised some questions for me:
—How much is too much?
—Is there a danger when people glorify the toughness of conditioning drills? How far do we as a society encourage coaches to go in pursuit of “winning the fourth quarter” and outworking the opposition?
—Is this death a fluke occurrence, or something that was preventable?
I’m curious what you think. And I’m also curious what it’s like to be a coach or the team’s medical staff who have had a player die in this way. I doubt, in our litigious society, they would be at liberty to be open on the subject. But wouldn’t it gnaw at you?
Permalink | Comments (31) | Post your comment | Categories: Football
Comments
By Doug
April 11, 2008 2:35 PM | Link to this
Well, O’Leary is the same guy who sicced four DLs on an unsuspecting offensive lineman at Tech a few years back, apparently in an effort to impart the ground-breaking lesson that quarterbacks don’t like to get hit.
But then again, O’Leary also has an M.D. from Johns Hopkins, so if he says the UCF player was never in any danger, I guess we should trust him.
By State Fan
April 11, 2008 2:39 PM | Link to this
Well, O’leary is pretty much scum that Tech fans should be ashamed of. Used ineligible players at Tech which resulted in probation after his departure. Lied on his resume and now the current issue. He is a POS do anything to get ahead type of person. Terrible character.
By Gamblin'wreck
April 11, 2008 2:53 PM | Link to this
This could have happened to any coach regardless of how hard they are on players, and in fact it has. I don’t think this has anything to do with O’learys character. He is a great coach that pushes his players to practice hard and go all out. If he had any clue that this SA was going to die, he would have stopped it, trust me. To make him out to be a villan is unfair. If Richt sending players out to celebrate last year would have caused a fight and a player get hurt, how many would have been going after him?
By BADDAWG 48
April 11, 2008 3:10 PM | Link to this
Nah. Not O’leary!!!! Last I heard he had completed Phd. in phsycology at Tulane after he got his phd from John Hopkins and was working on Phd in aero engineering at MIT!!!!!!
By GT
April 11, 2008 3:40 PM | Link to this
Too much is expected from a football coach. Use to be those guys got paid about what a school teacher or professor makes and were use as a kind of security guard around the school. The basic person taking these jobs have not changed, the margin from bum and hero is very small, yet a lot of people who haven’t got a life have put them up there with doctors and lawyers, and some of these guys actually think they have that kind of IQ. Follow the ones that don’t make it and you will find most do nothing exceptional with their lives, usually live on a golf course if they can afford it.
By Bravesfan79
April 11, 2008 4:41 PM | Link to this
No GAME is worth some kid dying! Football players, and especially football coaches arent known to be the brightest crayons in the box.
I remember when one of the assistant football coaches took over our soccer team in highschool….he was TERRIBLE!!
Remember parents…the smart kids play soccer and baseball.
By Jimmy
April 11, 2008 5:06 PM | Link to this
This is very sad but nobodies fault, IMO. This has happened a few times before. I’m going to venture to say that once the autopsy reports come back, it will be some problem w/ his heart, that nobody could have possibly known about unless they were doing specific tests on it, like Korey Stringer of the Minnesota Vikings a few years back.
By Navigator
April 11, 2008 7:10 PM | Link to this
O’leary is scum,etc …. Tech should be ashamed that he was their coach …. Georgia Fans speaking about O’leary
Interpretation: That SOB beat us three times.
By ME
April 11, 2008 7:45 PM | Link to this
Once upon a time, I was a trainer at GT. Coaches will routinely challenge kids, and themselves, to do better. To that regard, there are a lot of signs that the staff monitors to reduce the risk of something going wrong. In particular, the kids weigh in and out of practice everyday. The coaching staff is trained to look for signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion or worse yet, heat stroke.
While I was at Tech, I saw the amount of stuff done increase, as society has become litigious. Coach Shoop has made great improvements in the training room over the last twenty years, which I credit to the reduction in heat injuries at Tech.
That being said, it is a matter of time for things like this to happen. Based upon the percentages, it has to happen. As more kids participate, more outliers are going to try to participate. The drive to win in both the coaches and the kids pushes some of these kids to test the limits of their bodies. It takes a special kid to ignore the warning signs to push themselves through an injury to something worse. You usually only see this in marathoners (professional and recreational).
The reality here is that you can not prevent the outliers, you can only hope to catch the person before something tragic happens. This accident is incredibly unfortunate and I feel for Coach O’Leary.
By TRUTH
April 11, 2008 8:16 PM | Link to this
All GT and O’Leary hating aside do you really think that he would want a player to die on his watch after everything else. People die. Kids even die playing sports. Any football player knows that coaches are going to push you/ What are they suppose to do, every time a player gets tired and looks exhausted, should they stop practice and give everyone recess.
By College Fan
April 11, 2008 8:56 PM | Link to this
O’Liar lined up a bunch of defenseive tackles and beat the crap out of an offensive lineman when he was at tech because the kid missed some blocks in practice. Scads of the tech people came to O’Liar’s defense and ridiculed the lineman.
It said something ugly about O’Liar’s character when he did that though and we all knew it. So who is really surprised that this has happened now?
Notre Dame was smart to pass on him when he provided them with a false resume. Was tech too stupid or just didn’t care enough to check the resume out to see if it was accurate when they hired him?
It is a shame some kid had to die, because the coach is oblivious to warning signs that a player is in trouble. I am assuming the coach is knowledgable enough to recognize the signs since he has been in coaching for what - 25 years?
It is particularly disturbing that 4 teammates had to speak up because the coachs were apparently not forthcoming according to the Orlando newspaper as to the actual difficulty of the practice. Were these more lies - just like the resume?
I cannot now help but wonder if O’Liar knew he was playing accademically ineligible guys at tech, but did not let the truth or doing the right thing stand in his way. now it would not surprise me.
It is so sad and needless for that young man to die.
By Rabun Dawg
April 11, 2008 9:11 PM | Link to this
Let’s get serious.I am sure that coach O’Leary pushes his players hard, as do all coaches at that level, but to think he did something to cause this young man’s death is not fathonable. As a true, blue Dawg fan, I do indeed sympathize with the coach for such an unfortunate happening on his watch.Thoughts and prayers go out to the family of this young man!
By hj
April 11, 2008 9:29 PM | Link to this
Im a dog fan but yes the Tech players were much tougher than the dawgs when O Leary was the coach
By GTlove
April 12, 2008 12:26 AM | Link to this
While I DO NOT thing O’Leary would put an SA’s life in danger, there is something to be said about football coaches (in general) pushing a little too hard.
In my Jr. and Sr. year of HS playing girls’ soccer, we had an assistant football coach as our coach. A tradition in soccer at my school was known as “chunk runs”…i.e. run until you puke. Now, I have a lateral tracking in my left knee from all the hell I’ve put my body through. This was discovered my junior year of HS—I was told to quit playing soccer, go to PT and that I’d STILL have to get serious surgery by age 20. I’m now 23 and (thankfully) have yet to need that surgery. My point, I missed part of practice one afternoon seeing the orthepedist. What did coach say when I came back and told him what was going on? (Mind you this is THE day after my knee dislocated during a game) He sat me down, wrapped my knee the way the Dr. had instructed (which is actually very painful) and told me that he “guessed I better toughen up” and that I needed to run 3 miles for missing the first part of practice. He knew there was no way I’d quit playing soccer even though I was told I didnt really have an option, but this was one of the first indication to me that football coaches are a different breed.
I have a VERY high pain tolerance now (which isnt always a blessing) and I guess I am a lot tougher now, but I have to wonder how far is too far?
I’ve seen football players get numbing shots in joints so that they can play through the pain and I’ve had trainers wrap my knee and ankles so tight that they can barely move and circulation is cut off.
People need to remember we aren’t superheros. Think of your own child being in their late teens/early 20s and if not being fatally injured, having a career ending injury…there is no feeling worse to an athlete than the idea that they can no longer physically do what they love more than anything.
Again, I’m not saying this is directly O’Leary’s fault, I just think there needs to be an outside eye to monitor how hard SA’s are being pushed.
By Captain Sense
April 12, 2008 8:27 AM | Link to this
This blog has taken a turn toward “lets all tell a story we have experienced or may have heard about or may have seen on a movie about a meat-head football coach that was irresponsible with his athletes.
As a football coach (and track coach) I can tell you that no group of coaches (excepting for maybe wrestling) deals with taking more precautions when it comes to the well-being of their student athletes. Due to the nature of their sport, however, it is necessary to push their athletes farther than they sometimes feel they are able to go. This is where the training and education of the coaching staff comes in.
99% percent of football coaches are responsible with the care of their student athletes. As is the case with everything, the bad will get highlighted.
I am no O’Leary fan (UGA grad), but I dont think its fair to assume he had any wrongdoing here. I know players that were on his GT team when the O-lineman got rushed. Trust me, it wasn’t as bad (or undeserving) as the press made it out to be.
Sometimes unfortunate things happen. Why don’t we take a break from the blame game at least long enough to remember the young man and his family.
By yellowblood
April 12, 2008 8:53 AM | Link to this
You UGA turds need to leave George alone. He beat your asses and you can’t get over it. His performance at Tech was suburb and he was a regular attendee at our Tickle Piles. Quite a man and a damn good Coach.
By Alan
April 12, 2008 9:24 AM | Link to this
Often it’s the cover-up not the crime that gets you in trouble. Let’s see what happens to O’Leary and UCF going forward. It’s probably not going to be pretty.
By Bob
April 12, 2008 11:44 AM | Link to this
I still say the average SAT score of all Georgia athletes is higher than the average SAT score of all Tech athletes.
By NASCAR Dave
April 12, 2008 1:19 PM | Link to this
Wow. How pathetic. You NERDS have NOTHING to look forward to! You have NOTHING better to talk about than a Coach that “used to be there.” Friggin hilarious.
Hey NERDS - November 29, 2008… Get ready for your BEATDOWN!
GO DAWGS!
NUFF SAID.
By Dennis
April 12, 2008 1:41 PM | Link to this
Does this paper have anyone attending the Tech Spring practices that will write about it. Two blogs dedicated to Tech and nothing in days about what is happening. Come on guys, earn your pay.
By Ramblin Man
April 12, 2008 1:44 PM | Link to this
No Coach, I don’t care who he is wants to see a Kid hurt or die from work-outs. More BS. Most all Coaches will do anything for their players. Someone just looking to sue are cause problems.
By MC Reality
April 13, 2008 4:06 PM | Link to this
Football is a plantation, hard labor no wages, no pension, young athletes getting raped by the greed od America.
By Captain Sense
April 13, 2008 9:23 PM | Link to this
I guess getting a college education paid “in full” is equal to getting “raped” and to slavery?
Go away buddy.
By tom
April 13, 2008 9:40 PM | Link to this
Doesn’t O’Leary have a PhD from Notre Dame?
By some sense
April 14, 2008 7:28 AM | Link to this
Kid dies on O’Leary’s watch…could happen to anyone. How much is “too much”…incredible what the body can endure. Worst case scenario…O’Leary “cursed him”. Foul language is as much a part of athletics as proper footwear.
By Paddy
April 14, 2008 7:29 AM | Link to this
gt lover…Great response and well delivered. There are coaches (any sport) that just do not “get it”. Lets wait for all the dust to clear. I believe most of us will be following this story to its conclusion, sad as it is.
By Ramblin Wrecker
April 14, 2008 12:52 PM | Link to this
Was he on Minnesota’s staff when Korey Stringer died?
By Concerned
April 14, 2008 4:22 PM | Link to this
No one could ever think O’Leary wanted to harm a player. However, what is being called into question is O’Leary’s version of the story. And, it appears, that O’Leary once again lied. How could anyone expect anything else from him? Why should anyone believe anything he says?
I know he is sorry for what happened to his player, but, as always, he will do and say anthing to make himself look better.
By Tokyo Jacket
April 14, 2008 6:33 PM | Link to this
First I have to say I feel for the family of the young man that died. No man should ever have to see his son pass before him. Regardless of the cause, it’s a shame.
But, to blame O’Leary is probably a little bit of a stretch. Quite honestly, there are two types of people in this world: those who are internally motivated and those who are not. To be pushed by physical activity, to the point of death (assuming no congenital defect or disease) has to come internally. There is no way that if you’re not doing it on your own that another person can make you run until you die.
Kids practice hard in all sports, at least the kids who want to win. You can say that I’m simplifying this or that I’m barbaric. But, I pushed myself as a high school basketball player. I was in practice 12 hours after coming home from the emergency room with a fever of 104 (106 is death). I was freezing and practicing basketball in a gym in my letter jacket. I didn’t do it because I was told to. I did it because I wanted to. Of course, the coach prodded me to “do what I could handle.”
Fast forward ten years. I have back problems. I’m 6’9”, it kind of comes with the territory. I was playing a pick up game of 21 and had a back spasm. I couldn’t stand up straight. But, you know what? I finished the game and won. Then I played another game and won it too. There was no coach making me play through the pain. It was inside of me; it’s who I am. I venture to say that when student athletes “play” to the point of death, it’s who they are too.
When you reflect on how real life works, and not just sports, these same people win at life too. Businesses love ex-athletes from college, even the ones we make fun of for being dumb. If you’re a winner, you’re a winnder. Period. The game doesn’t matter.
My HS coach was very much like O’Leary (whose players I lived with while at Tech). He pushed me as hard as I’d let him. He was kind of a jerk at times. We didn’t always like each other. But he also treated me like a son. O’Leary’s players had the same relationship when I was at Tech.
So, rather than denegrate a coach whose involvement is more than questionable, let us honor this young man whose work ethic was so strong, he litterally worked himself to death. That was afterall the backbone of our national attitude at the turn of the 20th century until the 50s. I know my work ethic isn’t that great. I wish I were more like him.
By michael
April 15, 2008 6:20 PM | Link to this
this poor kid must’ve been somthing special. as i understand it he left high school early to participate in spring practice. there’s no way his high school team conditioned to the level of d-1 ball let alone o’leary’s. maybe the player wanted to make the team proud, be competative. family, friends, new teammates probably played a hand in his drive to compete. GOD bless him!
By Rob
April 17, 2008 12:54 PM | Link to this
George O’Leary captained the most corrupt and unethical football program in GT’s history. Makes me wonder if all the O’Leary appologists here are displaying their own warped code of ethics. Dishonesty and scandal seem to be joined at the hip with fat George. And before anyone claims that I am a UGA fan, I am not. I just know a piece of sh&t whenI smell it.