Former football captain sues NCAA, Pac-12 over concussive injuries

Former UCLA football defensive back Tom Sullivan is suing the NCAA and the Pac-12 over concussions, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Sullivan is looking to include Bruin football players from 1959 to 2010 in his suit, which he filed in the U.S. District Court in Indiana. The former football captain alleged he sustained more than 20 concussions in 35 games with UCLA from 1979 to 1982.

“As a result of these injuries, Sullivan now suffers from memory loss, a decline in cognitive functioning, light sensitivity, anxiety, headaches and other debilitating issues,” the complaint said.

The Pac-12 did not respond to the Los Angeles Times’ request for comment and a UCLA spokesperson declined to comment as well.

Sullivan’s case was just one of 17 lawsuits filed earlier this week.

The NCAA’s chief legal officer, Donald Remy, said in a statement the lawsuits were “mere copycats” and “questionable class actions.”

“This strategy will not work,” the statement said. “The NCAA does not believe that these complaints present legitimate legal arguments and expects that they can be disposed of early by the court.”

Per the Los Angeles Times, Sullivan’s lawsuit said both the NCAA and the Pac-12 “actively concealed” the effects of repeated brain injuries “to protect the very profitable business of ‘amateur’ college football.”

Sullivan is not currently suing his alma mater, but the lawsuit states that UCLA did not provide “appropriate medical treatment” and there was “no adequate concussion management protocols or policies in place” until 2010.

Although concussion protocol and policies are enforced in the NCAA, some players worry about the residual effects of repeated concussions and head injuries.

Redshirt sophomore fullback Cameron Griffin had suffered multiple head injuries since his freshman year, but one concussion during summer training kept him off the field for five weeks.

The fullback said he could have returned earlier, but the medical staff kept him off the field for precautionary reasons because of his previous head injuries and history of migraines.

With every head injury, Griffin questions whether the risk is worth it, not in terms of a professional playing career, but of the long-term effects.

“When you get 50, 60, 70 years old and your brain doesn’t work, just thinking about that while you have a concussion, it’s one of my lowest points,” Griffin said.

Griffin was kept off the field until the BYU game, but Sullivan’s case stated the then-UCLA coaches would quickly return him to the field to continue play, even after a hard hit.

“In fact, although Sullivan sustained repetitive concussive and subconcussive hits in practices and games for their profit and promotion, the NCAA and the Pac-12 failed to adopt or implement adequate concussion management safety protocols or return-to-play guidelines,” the complaint said. “Accordingly, every time Sullivan suffered a concussive or subconcussive hit, he would quickly be returned to the field of play.”

The lawsuit has six counts, including negligence and fraudulent concealment. Sullivan is seeking unspecified monetary damages.