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This is a sad day for North Carolina A&T State University. I am saddened to see the administration and Wheeler Brown, throw the track team and its coach under the bus. The coach has been a valuable coach to the university for over 29 years and this is how they repay him? They repay him by lying that policies were broken? Really....this is just another case of A&T lying to the public. There were no trainers there because they dont have enough trainers...why dont they tell how the university has never provided the track team with a trainer? why dont they tell how their own university policy doesnt require physicals for track team tryouts? It is puzzling to me how the unversity wants everyone to believe that this was the lone act of one person or a team and the AD, trainers, staff and no one were the wiser about the tryout? so thirty some people show up for a tryout and no one in the athletic department knows about it? come on...A&T, lets be real, your policies were flawed, this man and his team did the best they could under the circumstances. But as always, A&T is afraid and scared and dont realize that they just single handily destroyed one of the best track and field programs their university has ever had. Aggie Pride has died!

It would really be respectful to run articles on every soldier we have lost in Iraq and Afghanistan, rather than students.

How sad that a promising young man fell victim to University negligence and lack of oversight. Although no amount of money can bring him back, I hope that his family sues A & T and that the outcome results in better care of all aspiring student athletes.

really yak yak? why not wait and see if this poor boy's death was caused by any negligence? there is no autopsy, no medical documentation or anything saying how and why this poor boy died. typical local ocal greensboro people, let's run off at the mouth without any facts...

I still have pride in A&T. All school make mistakes and place blame. Thats the business.

Also they do put out articles about fallen soldiers, especially if they are local. Why doesn't a student who passed deserve an follow up article. Is it not enough space? I'm confused as to how your comment applies to the story at hand.

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!

What's the scandal? That a practice was held without it being on a schedule? Is the desired situation one in which no physical exertion takes place in the absence of a doctor or trainer? This is a tragic death, but barring some coach forcing him to run past his limits, there's no scandal.

It is tragic that a young man with a promising future lost his life, but he was a twenty year old adult. The decision to try out and to have had a physical was his responsibility. He could have just as easily died while he was training at home over the summer. The university and athletic department should not be held responsible for this sad event. It was afterall only an open try out. Once students athletes make the team and begin training should the university be responsible for their medical needs.

Can't they get anything right at that University.It seems that every time I hear of news its either mismanaging funds,inproprieties or out right stealing.I wonder whats next.

This is a sad situation for A&T and this young man. First, all students must have a physical on file with the university. they usually give them a month or so to get it. All students trying out for a sport must have a physical on file. The problem with this situation was that the assistant coach thinks he is above the rules. For years, he has tryouts and a student must make a time before they can make the team. This was the fourth day of school, who is is shape to run a time on the fourth day? A trainer was not there because I am willing to bet those trying out did not have a physical or signed release to tryout. This has been done for years, but this time this young man had made up his mind that he was going to make the team. His heart was not in condition to push for a time this early. He ran high school track and he wanted so badly to make the team. The Head coach, an Aggie, has been excellent for many years, he trusts his assistant to much and this time it hurt his program. The person that called the tryout is the one responsible for making sure a trainer and Brown was notified. A trainer would not allow anyone to try out without a physical on file. That's called "covering your ---" Rules were broken and nothing anyone can say will bring back this young man. Coaches will always try to bend rules unless the administration has a firm hand on all situations, not just Football and Basketball. At the end of the day, the University is responsible for Athletic oversight. Don't think for one minute that somebodies head is not going to be thrown under the bus!

It seems that people will read and hear what they what. A young man died on the track. He was NOT jogging! He was running to make a time for the team. There is a difference. If you are not trained to run(compete) at a mile, then your heart is not prepared to provide enough oxyen (aerobic) to recover. thus a elevated heart rate. That's why you train first to prepare your body to run and recover at a normal rate. If this was a pre-existing condtion, I am sure he would have known that because he ran high school track. Bottom line, he is dead. Could it have been prevented? Maybe not. Certainly having an experienced or inexperience trainer or person there would certainly reflect better on the University as a whole. Regardless of who is to blame, the coaches are responsible to communicate their intentions to the athletic department. Since I was not there and I doubt you were, we can only suggest what we think. I know the sport of track and field, I cannot discuss policy whether written or verbal.since I really don't know. We have not heard the last of this issue.. I hate it for the young man and his family. the rest of this matter will not change s-----!

Can we please refer to the professionals as "athletic trainers?" There's a difference...