Football player collapses, dies after workout

A Central Florida wide receiver died Tuesday after voluntary strength and conditioning drills in Orlando, Fla., the day before spring practice was set to begin.

Police said there was no foul play or obvious cause for redshirt freshman Ereck Plancher's late morning collapse. UCF athletic director Keith Tribble said the players had been lifting weights, then ran for about 10 minutes.

After the workout, the team huddled for a quick chat. As everyone was leaving, Plancher, a 19-year-old from Naples, took a knee in obvious distress, Tribble said. UCF trainers on site immediately provided CPR and the redshirt freshman was taken by ambulance to the hospital. He was pronounced dead just before noon.

"I know that I speak for our entire UCF family in saying that our thoughts and prayers are with Ereck's family on such a tragic day," Tribble said. "We offer our full support to Ereck's family, teammates, classmates and friends to cope with this unexpected loss."

An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of Plancher's death.

Tribble said Plancher had passed a physical. The practice was inside an air-conditioned building, but the weather outside wasn't excessively hot. The National Weather Service said it topped out at about 78 degrees, with about 50 percent humidity.