Coach Pleads Not Guilty In Player's Death

(CBS/AP)  A Kentucky high school football coach on Monday pleaded not guilty to reckless homicide in the heat-related death of a 15-year-old player who collapsed while running sprints at a sweltering August practice.

David Jason Stinson was released without having to post bond following his arraignment. A grand jury last week indicted Stinson, who was in his first year as head coach, in the death of Pleasure Ridge High School offensive lineman Max Gilpin.

"This is not about football, this is not about coaches," Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorney David Stengel said after the hearing. "This is about an adult person who was responsible for the health and welfare of a child."

Gilpin was one of six people to die because of the heat in high school and college athletics in 2008. And in the past 13 years, a University of North Carolina study says 39 athletes have suffered heat-related deaths - 29 high school players, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Glor.

"They don't wanna go to the coach and say, 'I'm not feeling well,' because they're afraid the coach is gonna say they're a slacker," said Frederick Mueller, a professor at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Stengel said he doesn't know if this is the first case in which a coach has been criminally charged in such a death that happens occasionally in all levels of athletics.

One of Stinson's attorneys, Brian Butler, said the case won't be settled without a trial because his client "is not responsible for this child's death."

"Coach Stinson absolutely believes that he is innocent of these charges. This is a tragedy beyond belief for (Gilpin's) family," Butler said. "His heart goes out to them."

The sophomore died Aug. 23 of complications from heat stroke, three days after collapsing at practice when the temperature felt like 94 degrees. His family attended the hearing but did not speak to reporters.

However, Jeff Gilpin and Michele Crockett, the player's divorced parents, have jointly sued the school's coaching staff, accusing them of negligence and "reckless disregard," with details about their son's health made part of the lawsuit.

Jeff Gilpin says the coach could have prevented his son's death if he had been paying attention and if he'd been providing mandatory water breaks, reports Glor.

"I don't believe that he thinks he did anything wrong," Gilpin said.

A doctor cleared him to participate in football in May. Crockett, in written answers to questions in the lawsuit, disclosed that her son had taken the dietary supplement Creatine for a time but stopped in July when football practice started.

Stengel declined to address the use of the supplement or any of the possible evidence in the case. Creatine is a natural compound found in the body that is also available as an over-the-counter supplement. Some athletes use it to increase muscle mass, though the side effects are still unclear.

Crockett also said her son had been taking Adderall, which is prescribed to treat Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Pleasure Ridge athletic director Craig Webb confirmed in a separate deposition that the school knew he had been taking the drug because it was listed on his athlete information form.

Dr. Ronald Terjung, professor of physiology in the department of medical sciences at the University of Missouri, noted in a study for the American College of Sports Medicine in 2000 the Creatine helped in weight training but that there were no benefits in endurance performance or aerobic function.

Butler said the defense will explore Gilpin's medical history to see if he had any health problems, but declined to directly address the use of Creatine.

"But we certainly want to know what his health conditions were because we've been charged with a homicide," Butler said. "Unfortunately, we have to look into those things now."

The coroner's office has said Gilpin died of septic shock, multiple organ failure and complications from heat stroke, although no autopsy was conducted.

Gilpin, who was 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, collapsed to the turf just 15 minutes after a teammate went down after they ran several "gassers" - sprints up and down the field to increase endurance.

Webb, bystanders and others treated a moaning Gilpin with water and ice packs, according Webb's deposition. Gilpin was unable to talk with them and his eyes were two-thirds closed, the deposition said.

Crockett arrived to find her son limp, with bloodshot eyes staring straight ahead, an ice pack behind his neck and a hose spilling water over the pack. Authorities said his body temperature was 107 degrees when he reached the hospital.

Despite the felony charge, some in the south Louisville community have rallied around the coach.

"They're dragging a very good man through the mud and I don't understand why," football booster Rodney Daugherty said.

"He's liable to be ruined over this. Even if he comes out exonerated, he'll probably be ruined and also mentally he'll be damaged for life," said 53-year-old Mike Embry, the co-owner of Don Embry Body Shop, a financial booster of the football program.

Parents, students, athletes and others in the community during a 90-minute rally Sunday spoke openly about Stinson, who graduated from a high school in the city, before going on to play offensive lineman for the University of Louisville, then briefly for the NFL's New York Giants.

Stinson left a job with Xerox to become an offensive line coach for three years before taking over as Pleasure Ridge's head coach in January 2008 and also is a deacon at his church. Stinson has been transferred to non-teaching and non-coaching duties in the school system's central office pending the outcome of the case.

A Facebook group page in support of Stinson had over 1,400 members as of Monday morning, with most message board posters using the wall as a chance to offer prayers for Stinson and his family.

Daugherty worries about Stinson's financial and mental health.

"He's a guy with a heart of gold," Daugherty said. "There were only two people that hurt worse than him. That's the boy's parents."

[enriquecaliente]

Negligence sure, depraved indifference maybe, but that''s it.

[pluto17]

My heart aches for these families in this tragedy; but this could have been prevented, in my opinion. Coaches today, push the kids too hard. I know this first hand--Just this year, my sons basketball coach went "too far" in practice with some of the kids, my son included. My son ended up being lifelighted to a hospital! He had an asthma attack, plus had vomitted so much his stomach was bleeding. The coach knew the kids were vomitting and insisted they "hurry up" and keep running! Thank God my son is OK and better yet, I hope the coach learned a valuable lesson. I only wish that was the case in the Gilpin incident before the boy died. Hopefully, his death will get the attention of the rest of the coaches and they will think twice before they put the lives of the kids at risk. I will be praying for both families.

[andie52]

Gilpin and a second player collapsed during the practice in which coaches were alleged to have withheld water and continued to run players on a day when the heat index reached 94 degrees. The second player, a senior, spent two days in the hospital. 911 wasn%u2019t called for almost 20 minutes while this boy lay dying of heat stroke with very little being done for him. And all this coach can talk about is how he has lost his standing and can%u2019t continue coaching etc.?

[sassfinck]

My heart goes out to the Gilpin family as well as the Stinson family. I don''t think its right that the parents aren''t being held accountable as well, they were aware of how hot the weather was, shouldn''t they have not allowed their son to attend practice that day, or at least made a phone call the coaches about how practice was going to be conducted that day? (i.e., indoors in the weight room, or held outdoors?). The ultimate responsibility for their son''s well being is on the parents. Both parties are forever impacted by this horrible loss of life. So sad that the grieving process is being dragged on because someone feels they have to have a finger pointed to someone or something tangible--its not going to make anyone feel any better or shorten the process of grieving--its only going to drag it out and make it worse. I''m sure that this precious boy''s death is beyond words to describe, the pain and sorrow huge--but there will be healing for all parties if forgiveness on both sides can be given...time and God''s grace is sufficient for all.

[honestabe8]

Lol. Now its going to cost five times as much money to play high school football at the very least.

Posted by Dimebag5151

And what would be the downside of this?

[dimebag5151]

Shame on the grand jury for indicting this coach. Shame on the vindictive DA for even pressing this outrageous charge.

Lol. Now its going to cost five times as much money to play high school football at the very least.

[honestabe8]

Football seems boring. 6 seconds of action at a time. But, it does allow kids to dream and fans (most of whom cannot see their toes, let alone touch them) to delude themselves into thinkinb themselves athletic. It''s amusing to see fans whose rolls of fat being are being covered by XXXL jerseys saying stuff like "WE won" or "WE lost:". Voyeurism is what it is,

[baileyccc]

This is a reach going after this coach, I have been involve with a player that died during practice 40 years ago. It is unfortunate and have great sympathy for the family.

[ramos937]

Gilpin, who was 6-foot-2 and 220 pounds, collapsed to the turf just 15 minutes after a teammate went down after they ran several "gassers" - sprints up and down the field to increase endurance.
--------------------------------------------

The teammate''s situation plus bystanders statements that the coaches were denying players requests for water is more than enough to convict Stinson. I fail to understand why his supporters cannot grasp the fact that Stinson failed to look out for the health of his players. There certainly have been more than enough warnings from other sources about denying players water especially one a hot practice day.

[wl7bzh]

w17bzh...we all see you weren''''t man enough to play and all you can do is encourage a troll like 0depthTex to feel good about yourself that''''s why idiot you can''''t make it in the real world...P.S. now it''''s time to brag how great your doing and so much better than me,,yea troll hang with your kind fellow trolls.

Posted by crzmeat at 08:48 PM : Jan 26, 2009
+ report abuse

Troll? Man enough to play? Keep living in the past.

I''m sure the little woman, the kids and the great life you''ve got are the reasons you''re holding on to the glory days. Obviously that''s all you''ve got in life.

Suggest you go look in the mirror. Then go look at your life-or what''s left of it. You and I both know the real reason you''re hanging on to the past with all you''ve got. Because, quite frankly the past IS ALL YOU''VE GOT.

So go bore somebody else with your pathetic ramblings about the glory days-You know the ones-the ones when you were somebody.