Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Thinking Out Loud: Aggie-vation

One of Tuesday's editorials will react to the firing of N.C. A&T Athletics Director Wheeler Brown in the wake of a student's death during an "unofficial" track tryout in August.

A&T didn't require a mandatory physical and sickle cell screening that could have averted the tragedy that claimed the life of sophomore Jospin "Andre" Milandu. Wins and losses are definitely not life-and-death matters.

But there is a lot of grumbling in Aggieland about problems on the field as well. Brown may have been in hot water anyway.

Editorial: Taking account at A&T



This did not have to happen. The N.C. A&T student who died during an “unofficial” tryout for the track team had a potentially life-threatening condition that should have been detected in advance.

Twenty-year-old Jospin “Andre” Milandu collapsed on Aug. 19 during the workout and later died at Moses Cone Hospital. An autopsy revealed that the Knightdale sophomore had suffered from physical exertion and complications from sickle cell trait, a genetic condition that has claimed the lives of other college athletes.

Of all people, A&T athletics officials should have known better. In 2008, an Aggie football player, Chad Wiley, collapsed following a practice and died of complications from heat stroke. He also had carried the sickle cell trait.

Batter up: New Aggies QB has baseball skills


GREENSBORO, N.C. — After a two-month search, N.C. A&T football coach Alonzo Lee has found his quarterback. On the baseball team. George Hines, a redshirt senior and three-year starter in center field for the Aggies, will be A&T's quarterback for the final four games, Lee said Monday.

"He's more than just an athlete who wants it," Lee said. "He's a guy who wants to be a student of the game. The other guys see that, and that leadership made the difference. He's our guy going down the stretch. ... We'll do a little rotation with the wildcat (offense), but he's going to be our main guy."

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