NCAA Ordered to Pay $18M to Former Football Player and Wife in Concussion Lawsuit

In a historic decision a South Carolina jury has ordered the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) to pay $18 million to a former college football player and his wife; as the result of a jury finding the NCAA liable for failing to adequately warn Robert Geathers, a 68-year-old former South Carolina State University football player, about the long-term concussion risks associated with playing football.

Robert Geathers played as a defensive lineman for South Carolina State University from 1977-80. His wife, Debra Geathers, was also awarded money by the jury – $8 million dollars. Mr. Geathers has been diagnosed with dementia and today cannot perform some of the simplest tasks such as getting dressed or making a meal. According to the testimony of medical professionals, he exhibits symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is a condition commonly found in those suffering from repeated blows to the head during football. CTE can only be officially diagnosed when the person dies.

Jury Finds the NCAA Negligent

Attorneys representing Mr. Geathers’ family presented evidence that the many hits Mr. Geathers took while practicing and playing football over several years resulted in permanent brain damage that manifested itself decades after he finished his athletic career. Attorneys also stated that the NCAA had been aware of the dangers of concussions in football since the 1930s and therefore had a duty to protect players but chose instead to withhold this knowledge and provide inadequate protection for generations of football players.

“Everything they knew, they withheld,” stated Bakari Sellers, one of the attorneys representing Mr. Geathers’ family, in reference to the NCAA’s failure to inform its student-athletes of the potential risks of concussion.

After deliberating, the jury concluded that the NCAA “unreasonably increased the risk of injury” beyond that which is typically seen in football and “negligently breached their duty” to protect Mr. Geathers. Bakari Sellers described the jury’s decision as “a great day of justice for our family,” stating, “It felt great to hug Debra Geathers.”

NCAA Plans to Challenge the Ruling

The NCAA plans to file post-trial motions and, if necessary, an appeal to reverse the jury’s decision. The organization released a statement expressing its disagreement with the jury’s decision and citing examples of similar cases where juries have ruled in favor of the NCAA. The NCAA also pointed to the fact that the safety rules in place at the time of Mr. Geathers’ play were based on the best available medical knowledge at that time.

In a statement issued to reporters, Andy Fletcher, the NCAA’s trial attorney, stated that head contact is a natural part of football and that Mr. Geathers’ declining health may be attributed to factors outside of football related head injuries. “There will be head-contact in football,” Fletcher told the court. “You cannot eliminate head-contact from football.”