Colleges

Rice player dies after collapsing in practice

By TIMES WIRES
Published September 26, 2006

HOUSTON - A Rice University freshman football player died Monday, a day after collapsing during a light workout.

Dale Lloyd, 19, a defensive back, collapsed on the field about 5 p.m. Sunday but was conscious when taken to a hospital by ambulance. He died about 9 a.m. Monday, school officials said.

"I just can't describe the pain we're feeling right now and the shock," Rice athletic director Chris Del Conte said. "It will take a long time to digest. The coaches are crushed. This is a tough time for all of us."

Lloyd collapsed while the team was doing some light running, Del Conte said. Although he didn't complain of anything specific, he told team trainers he didn't feel right.

"No one knows what happened," Del Conte said. "It's a mystery."

An autopsy was pending.

Coaches met with the team Monday afternoon to talk about Lloyd's death.

"He was a tremendous student who happened to play football," Del Conte said, fighting back tears. "His smile just lit up the room."

Lloyd played in Rice's season opener against Houston but didn't play the past three games, including a 55-7 loss to No. 19 Florida State this past weekend. The team planned to redshirt him.

Rice is scheduled to travel to face Army on Saturday. Del Conte said he hasn't made a decision on the status of that game.

"The Rice Owl family has suffered a devastating loss," coach Todd Graham said in a statement. "Dale was a tremendous person with the heart of a champion."

Rutgers loses receiver

Receiver Shawn Tucker is out indefinitely after suffering a broken ankle against Howard this past weekend, leaving the Scarlet Knights with an even younger corps of wideouts.

Sophomore Tiquan Underwood, who had been rotating with Tucker, will take his starting spot Friday night when No. 23 Rutgers opens its Big East season at USF.

The Scarlet Knights lost Marcus Daniels and Keith Taylor for the season during training camp, and now have a redshirt freshman, a sophomore and an inexperienced junior as three of their top four receivers.

OFFICIAL SUSPENDED: Conference USA suspended an instant replay official who overturned a fumble by Houston's Jeron Harvey in the second quarter of the Cougars' game against Oklahoma State this past weekend.

After a challenge by Houston coach Art Briles, the replay official ruled that Harvey's forward progress had been stopped before the ball was stripped by Oklahoma State's Rodrick Johnson and recovered by the Cowboys.

Four plays later, Houston scored a touchdown to take a 24-17 halftime lead. Houston won 34-25.

The play should not have been subject to review, the conference said, and the ruling on the field was correct.

The conference did not give details on the official's suspension, citing conference policy.

VIRGINIA TECH: Defensive end Chris Ellis and split end Josh Morgan have been suspended for violating team rules and will miss Saturday's game against No. 24 Georgia Tech. Coach Frank Beamer made the announcement Monday.

Ellis is one of the No. 11 Hokies' (4-0) most disruptive defensive linemen, recording 12 tackles this year, including one sack.

Morgan is Tech's second-leading receiver, with 10 catches for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He blocked two punts, including one for a safety in the Hokies' 29-13 victory over Cincinnati this past weekend.

TENNESSEE: Defensive back Marsalous Johnson's suspension has been lifted after he missed four games for being charged with aggravated assault in July, coach Phillip Fulmer said.

Johnson, a redshirt freshman, was arrested after an off-duty Putnam County sheriff's deputy reported Johnson waved what he thought looked like a gun at him while driving on Interstate 40. Officers pulled over Johnson's vehicle and found a toy gun under the passenger seat. The case is pending, and Johnson is due back in court in October.

No. 15 Tennessee travels to Memphis on Saturday.

[Last modified September 26, 2006, 01:22:15]