Nearly three years after collapsing and dying during a conditioning workout, the family of Rice football player Dale Lloyd II have settled their wrongful death lawsuit against the university and the NCAA, theHouston Chronicle is reporting.
The cause of Lloyd’s death on September 25 was related to sickle cell, a trait which was not tested for by the university and was the basis of the lawsuit.
As part of the settlement, the NCAA will donate $50,000 to the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America in the name of Lloyd and $10,000 to a scholarship fund set up in the player’s name.
According to The Chronicle, most of the settlement with the school has been kept confidential.
“Nothing brings closure to a loss of a child, but what was important to the Lloyd family was that it gets answers and it ensures it doesn’t happen to another family,” said Gene Egdorf, the lead counsel for the Lloyd family. “And while there are no guarantees, I think we’re all confident we succeeded in those goals.”
As a direct result of the lawsuit, the NCAA, for the first time, will recommend that all member institutions test for the sickle cell trait in all student-athletes. Rice -- and the family -- would like the organization to go one step further and require the test be given.
“We are very pleased and very happy with Rice that they are stepping up and taking that step because frankly a recommendation is not enough,” Egdorf said. “It has to get done. That’s how we’re going to save lives. We’re all thankful to Rice for taking that step, and we’re thankful to the NCAA, I believe they will adopt that resolution.”
Earlier this month, Missouri announced they would require all student-athletes to be tested for the sickle cell trait.
That move came three months after settling their own lawsuit resulting from the death of football player Aaron O’Neal in 2005.
