Almost exactly three months to the day that Ole Miss player Bennie Abram collapsed during a workout and passed away several hours later, the cause of his death has finally been released.
According to the Jackson Clarion-Ledger, an autopsy report released Monday afternoon revealed that Abram died from complications due to sickle cell trait.
“The autopsy report was that the cause of death was related to complications from sickle cell trait and exertion,” Dr. Jeff Dennis said. "... For us, the Bennie Abram case was not a straightforward presentation or a classic presentation for sickle cell trait in a sudden death event.”
Abram was a non-scholarship player who joined the team in January after trying out and “show[ing] his film to coach Houston Nutt.” The school’s medical staff was aware of Abrams having the sickle cell trait, and UM’s head of sports medicine Shannon Singletary said that all procedures were properly followed.
Abram’s father seemed to agree with that assessment.
“Yes,” Abram Jr. said, “I think everything was done right. Done correctly. I didn’t see anything that was wrong.”
Abram Jr. also stated that he “didn’t really know something this serious could happen because of” the sickle cell trait.
According to a report on the American Football Coaches Association’s website, 20 players have lost their lives to non-traumatic football deaths the past ten years; eight of those deaths were caused by exertional sickling, which means complications related to having the sickle cell trait.
Testing for the sickle cell trait has been ongoing at Ole Miss since 1989, although the NCAA has not made it a mandatory test as of yet.
It’s well past time, though, that the governing body mandates it. It may not have prevented Abrams’ death, but it could prevent future loss of life.
