South Carolina Jury Awards $18M to Ex-Football Player Over CTE
BREAKING NEWS: A South Carolina jury has just awarded former college football player Robert Geathers and his wife Debra a staggering $18 million in a landmark case against the NCAA. The jury found the NCAA negligent for failing to warn about the long-term effects of concussions, a decision that could reshape college sports’ approach to player safety.
The verdict, delivered in Orangeburg County late last week, awarded $10 million to 68-year-old Robert Geathers, who played as a defensive end for South Carolina State University from 1977 to 1980. His wife, Debra, received $8 million for the emotional and financial toll of her husband’s declining health, which has been impacted by dementia and symptoms of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Geathers, diagnosed with dementia years ago, struggles with daily tasks such as dressing and meal preparation. Testimonies revealed that he displays signs of CTE, a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head injuries in contact sports. Jurors heard from medical experts who connected Geathers’ health issues to the trauma he sustained during his college football career.
During the trial, attorney Bakari Sellers argued that the NCAA was aware of concussion risks as far back as the 1930s but failed to inform players and coaches until much later. “All of the information they knew, they withheld,” Sellers told jurors, emphasizing that the organization’s primary responsibility was player safety.
The jury’s decision to hold the NCAA accountable marks a significant shift in how liability is viewed in college athletics. The NCAA plans to appeal the verdict, with spokesperson Greg Johnson asserting that the organization has successfully defended itself in similar cases across the country. Johnson stated, “The NCAA has prevailed in every other jury trial around the country on these issues.”
In closing arguments, NCAA trial attorney Andy Fletcher claimed Geathers suffers from various health conditions that contribute to his dementia-like symptoms and reiterated that head injuries are an inherent risk in football. The jury, however, determined that the NCAA unreasonably increased the risk of harm to Geathers by failing to act on known concussion risks.
After the verdict, Sellers expressed relief and hope for the future, 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 personal impact of CTE but also raises critical questions about the responsibilities of athletic organizations in safeguarding player health.
As this story develops, many will be watching closely to see how the NCAA responds and what implications this case may have for future litigation related to player safety in college sports.
