Ex-Bucknell coach charged after player hazing death during workout

The parents of a Bucknell University football player who died after collapsing during the first day of training camp in 2024 said Tuesday they appreciated a decision by the Pennsylvania attorney general to bring criminal charges against the strength and conditioning coach who oversaw the session. Calvin “CJ” Dickey Jr. was a freshman in July 2024 when Mark Kulbis told him and other football players to do 100 “up-downs,” also known as “burpees,” along with full-body plank drills, according to the attorney general’s office. Dickey had sickle-cell trait, a medical condition that can increase the risk of serious injury or death following extreme exertion.

A former Bucknell strength and conditioning coach was charged Monday with felony aggravated hazing following the 2024 death of a freshman football player who collapsed during his first workout with the team, according to a statement from the Pennsylvania attorney general and court documents.

Former Bucknell strength and conditioning coach Mark Kulbis has been charged with felony aggravated hazing in the 2024 death of freshman football player Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr., who collapsed at a team workout.

Calvin "CJ" Dickey Jr. collapsed at a Bucknell team workout in 2024, and died two days later. He was 18.