Steiger, Trey Ply

September 9, 2008

...

Steiger

Do I just talk?

Cohn

Yeah, I'll, I'll ask you here. The start time is 1252 hours. The date is September the 9th, 2008. This is Detective Mickey Cohn. And I'm here with Trey Steiger. It's T-R-E-Y S-TE-I-G-E-R. And what's your date of birth, Trey?

Steiger Cohn

And what's your address?

Steiger

x

Cohn

x

Steiger

Yes, sir.

Cohn

And what's your home phone number?

Steiger Cohn Steiger Cohn

Do you have a cell phone?

Page 2 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

Steiger Cohn Steiger

Yep.

Cohn

Okay. This statement is being tape-recorded. Does this meet with your approval?

Steiger

Yes, sir.

Cohn

I am taking this statement in reference to the events on August 20th of 2008, that occurred during the PRP football practice. Please describe the events of August the 20th, 2008, from the beginning to the end of practice in your own words.

Steiger

Uh, we did a individual session, then we did a team session, and then right before we came back from the water break, our coach got uh, mad 'cause some people were playin' around so we ran a few gassers and then people were still not do in' good and stuff, so we kept runnin', and then afterwards, we went and got a drink and got in a huddle. And that's what happened.

Cohn

Okay. Uh, when you mentioned water breaks, we'll go with water breaks. Uh, how were water breaks given during the practice? Were they given...are you allowed just to go get a drink of water whenever you want to or are they given as teams?

Steiger

Like if we're, like if it's, like I guess if it's really hot outside you can ask for a drink and he'll let us have it, but if it's like we just started practicin' stuff, we have to finish the drill, then we can go get a drink, but usually we go as a

Page 3 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

team over to a big water fountain they have over there. Cohn

Um-hmm.

Steiger

And that's what we do.

Cohn

Okay. So you go as a team?

Steiger

Yes, sir.

Cohn

Uh, do you go also, does "team" does that mean you go as like...

Steiger

Like we were split up in to groups, de-line, quarterbacks and stuff, and the coaches'll go as they want, but usually at the same time.

Cohn

So basically it's special lead or special groups or...or team groups, whatever you're set up in?

Steiger

Yeah.

Cohn

Yeah. On August the 20th, 2008, how many water breaks did you take?

Steiger

Uh, four.

Cohn

After the last water break, what did the practice consist of? What did you all do after the last water break?

Steiger

Uh, I went home.

Cohn

Well, not the one at the end of practice, but the one before that one...what...

Steiger

Oh, we did gassers.

Page 4 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

Cohn

Okay. And gassers, basically, that's a...I've talked to a bunch of you guys...basically what that is...correct me if I'm wrong...you line up on one sideline, you run to the other sideline, you run back, back to the other sideline again, and back again.

Steiger

It's just 50 yards over, 50 yards back, 50 yards over, and 50 yards back.

Cohn

That's one gasser.

Steiger

Yes, but he let us take our helmets and stuff off, after we did, I think it was five, we got to take our helmet off, then we took our shoulder pads off, and then we ran.

Cohn

Okay. Uh, why was the team runnin' the gassers?

Steiger

Because a few kids were screwin' around after he asked 'em to stop and he told us that if we didn't want to practice organized then we'll just do runs and so we kept runnin' and kids were still playin' around, so we kept runnin'.

Cohn

How many sprints did your group do?

Steiger

Uh...

Cohn

...uh, what size groups, there's...you all line up in two groups, is that right? You got skill players and...

Steiger

...Yeah, we...no, we go uh, we go by linemen and then we go as runningbacks. And that's what we do.

Page 5 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

Cohn

Okay. So but every, the whole team's split up in to two groups? And one takes a line and they go and the other group's behind that line and they go?

Steiger

And like we'll finish ours and then they'll go, so you basically get like a 30-second/ 40second break in between the sprints.

Cohn

Okay. What group are you in?

Steiger

I was in the linemen group.

Cohn

How many gassers did your group do, total?

Steiger

Uh, well, I got out early because I was runnin' fast, so I got, I only had to do like ten.

Cohn

Um-hmm. How many do you think the whole group did?

Steiger

Uh, pro'bly about 16, 17.

Cohn

And you got to quit early so uh, did you...how many sprints did you do before taking off your gear? Did you get to that point?

Steiger

Well, I took off my helmet but I didn't get to take off my shoulder pads 'cause I just got to quit, so I pro'bly did about ten.

Cohn

And how many did you do before taking off your helmet?

Steiger

About...o, pro'bly about eight.

Cohn

Okay. And how many, did...so you did maybe

Page 6 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

two more after you took off your helmet? Steiger

Yes, sir.

Cohn

How many do you think uh, after taking off the gear, the rest of the team did?

Steiger

They pro'bly ended up do in' about 17.

Cohn

17 total?

Steiger

Yeah.

Cohn

How long do you think the team...how long, and again, you got to quit early, but how long do you think the entire team did the gasser? Like how long are we talkin' here?

Steiger

Uh, we started about 5:40, I guess we stopped about 6 somethin', so I guess about 30, 40 minutes.

Cohn

Okay. How do you know the times?

Steiger

Because we have a schedule and basically, we were supposed to be doin' special teams and that starts around 5:40, before we're supposed to do conditioning at like six o'clock...and we started, when we were supposed to do special teams, 'cause people were playin' around, so they didn't take it serious, and we just ran.

Cohn

Okay. So you just, your guesstimate's not, you're guessing these times, based on the schedule.

Steiger

Yeah.

Page 7 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

Cohn

'Cause you were supposed to go...at that point, you were supposed to go to the team?

Steiger

Yeah.

Cohn

And then the, what you normally would have done during the normal practice you didn't get to do because you were doing gassers. Right?

Steiger

Yeah.

Cohn

Did you or any of your teammates ask for water breaks or try to get water during the running of the gassers?

Steiger

I didn't, I didn't hear anybody else ask for any.

Cohn

Didn't hear anybody ask...

Steiger

...Well, I heard people sayin' they wanted water but I didn't hear 'em askin' a coach.

Cohn

Who were they sayin' they wanted water to?

Steiger

Like they were just like, like man, I want some water. But they wasn't like sayin' it loud, they were just like mumblin' it to theirself. (sic)

Cohn

You didn't hear the coaches say anything about water?

Steiger

No.

Cohn

Did you or any of your teammates become sick during the running of the sprints?

Steiger

I know Max did. And uh, there was another one named Callaway, that had a heart murmur,

Page 8 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

so I don't know if that was from that..., and then uh, I don't remember any more. I know a couple of people were crampin' a little bit but they didn't really get hurt at all. Cohn

Did they stop runnin'?

Steiger

Uh, well, a couple kids had to do, they were do in' up-down's because they got in trouble for doin' that. But they was fine, they just had to do up-down's instead of runnin'.

Cohn

Okay. When did Callaway get sick? What point of the...

Steiger

Uh, it was about, it was right, about three gassers before Max got sick.

Cohn

When did Max get sick?

Steiger

Uh, it was pro'bly about two left and he was like not really passed out yet but he was like crampin' a little bit, and then at the last I guess they dragged him towards the sideline.

Cohn

During any practices this year, have you personally seen or heard of any teammates being injured or quitting the team?

Steiger

Uh, well, I've seen people with like casts on and stuff, but they didn't participate in practice, though.

Cohn

Um-hmm. But that's like normal football injuries you're gonna get from hittin' each other.

Steiger

Yeah.

Page 9 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

Cohn

I mean did you see anything, you know, during...did anybody get hurt during practices? Did you see anybody get hurt during practices?

Steiger

No.

Cohn

Anybody quit the team during practices?

Steiger

Uh, our gassers are, the gassers, David Engler quit...the one where Max got hurt...

Cohn

Um-hmm.

Steiger

'Cause somebody had to quit.

Cohn

Has anyone influenced you in any way to withhold information or change any of the facts that actually occurred during this practice?

Steiger

No, sir.

Cohn

And is everything that you've told me in this stateful...statement truthful?

Steiger

Yes, sir.

Cohn

And do you have anything else to add to this or anything you wanna tell me or tell us or think we should know?

Steiger

No, sir.

Cohn

Alright. This concludes our interview. The time is now 1 o'clock, or 1300 hours.

Page 10 of 10 Statement: Trey Steiger / Case #08197(e) September 9, 2008

END OF STATEMENT File #08197ecohn-ks