Sickle Cell Trait Contributed To Miramar High Football Player's Death

MIRAMAR (CBSMiami) – A Miramar High football player who collapsed at the end of a conditioning session last July and passed away a short time later at the hospital died of natural causes.

That's the ruling of the Broward County Medical Examiner who released their report on the death of 16-year old Isaiah Laurencin on Wednesday, according to The Sun-Sentinel.

In the ME's report, said a number of conditions culminated in Laurencin's death on July 27th including sickle cell trait and alpha thalassemia which can lead to abnormal red blood cells and anemia. Also cited in the five page report were obesity, bronchitis, hypertension and warm environmental conditions during the long practice drill.

Laurencin stood 6'3" and weighed 286 pounds, according to his recruiting profile on Scout.com.

During a conditioning session on July 26th, Laurencin told coaches that he wasn't feeling well and sat on the sidelines. According to his family, Laurencin was experiencing cramps and contacted them. The family was on their way to pick him up. Shortly after, he started vomiting and went into cardiac arrest.

He was taken to Memorial West where he died Wednesday at 1:40 a.m.

In the last 11 years at least 17 student athlete deaths have been linked to the sickle cell trait.

The Sun-Sentinel contributed to this report.