The NCAA is once again embroiled in a legal battle. Limas Sweed, a former wide receiver for the Texas Longhorns, is taking the NCAA to court for alleged negligence over concussions that he claims have led to his current battles with depression and headaches.
As reported by TMZ Sports, Sweed is seeking $5 million from the NCAA and accusing the organization of fraud and negligence. Sweed claims he would be sent right back into a game after taking a blow to the head even if there was an “inadequate amount of time” since taking the blow to the head. Rather than direct his ire at the Longhorns and his former head coach Mack Brown, Sweed is instead aiming at the NCAA to take the blame.
“While playing at Texas, [Sweed] suffered from numerous concussions, as well as countless sub-concussive hits as part of routine practice and gameplay,” the lawsuit reads, according to TMZ Sports.
Sweed played for Texas from 2003 through 2007. How concussions were handled at the time has dramatically improved since Sweed’s playing days with the Longhorns. How much ground this case has to stand on remains to be determined by the legal system, although finding the NCAA guilty in any court of law over this situation may be difficult to pull off. At best, the most Sweed may have to hope to settle for would be some sort of settlement, although the NCAA will surely be reluctant to engage in that possibility, and the NCAA will likely move to have this case dismissed.