ORANGEBURG, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina jury recently determined that the NCAA is liable to a former college football player and his wife for $18 million due to negligence related to concussion risks. This ruling comes after the jury found the NCAA failed to warn Robert Geathers, a former defensive end at South Carolina State University, about the long-term effects of concussions he sustained during his time playing college football from 1977 to 1980.
The jury awarded Robert Geathers, now 68, $10 million for his suffering caused by these injuries, while his wife, Debra Geathers, received $8 million. This decision follows Robert Geathers' diagnosis with dementia several years ago, which has severely impacted his ability to perform daily tasks such as dressing himself and assisting in meal preparation.
During the trial, medical experts testified that Geathers exhibits symptoms indicative of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease often found in former football players exposed to repeated head trauma. Notably, CTE can only be formally diagnosed posthumously, underscoring the challenges associated with recognizing its effects during a player's lifetime.
The Geathers' legal team argued that the repeated blows to Robert’s head during practices and games contributed to trauma that manifested decades later. Attorney Bakari Sellers stressed that the NCAA was aware of the risks associated with concussions as early as the 1930s, yet failed to inform athletes and coaching staff appropriately regarding these dangers, particularly when Robert Geathers' playing career concluded.
“All of the information they knew, they withheld,” Sellers stated during court proceedings, asserting the NCAA’s responsibility to ensure the safety of the players. This sentiment resonated with the jury as they concluded that the organization had unreasonably increased the risk of harm associated with head impacts over and above those inherently linked to playing football.
NCAA spokesperson Greg Johnson responded to the verdict, asserting the organization's disagreement with the findings and indicating their intention to pursue post-trial motions and appeal if needed. Johnson emphasized that the NCAA had succeeded in prior jury trials concerning similar issues and defended the standards followed by the South Carolina State football team as consistent with the knowledge available at the time, arguing that college football did not directly cause Geathers’ ongoing health problems.
Representatives for the NCAA also contended that Robert Geathers had several health conditions that contributed to his dementia-like symptoms, reiterating the inherent risks of head injuries in football. NCAA trial attorney Andy Fletcher highlighted the unavoidable nature of head impacts within the sport. “There’s going to be head-hits. That’s inherent to the game. You can’t take head-hits out of football,” Fletcher asserted during his closing arguments.
Ultimately, the jury concluded that the NCAA had voluntarily assumed a duty to safeguard the health and safety of Robert Geathers and had negligently breached that duty, thereby holding the organization accountable for the significant impact of his football career on his long-term health.
Following the trial, Bakari Sellers expressed relief at the outcome, stating, "I felt good to hug Debra Geathers. She gets to go home and tell her husband some good news." This case not only highlights the ongoing issues surrounding player safety in college sports but also signals a shift toward increased accountability for governing bodies in addressing the dangers posed by concussions and head injuries.
