The family of a college football player who died after a head injury during practice has filed suit against the NCAA, the team’s coach and others, according to reports.
Derek Sheely, 22, collapsed during a preseason drill for the Frostburg State University football team in Western Maryland. According to the complaint filed by attorneys for the Sheely family, the young athlete’s death was the result of “utter incompetence, egregious misconduct, false hope and a disregard for player health.”
Others named in the suit include Frostburg football personnel and the manufacturer of the helmet Sheely was wearing at the time of the fatal injury.
“We are haunted by the knowledge that Derek’s death was preventable and we feel an obligation to share lessons that could prevent other children from suffering Derek’s fate,” the Sheely family said in a statement released to the Washington Times.
Before sustaining the injury that killed him, Sheely told coaching staff he “didn’t feel right” and had a “headache,” according to the complaint. The coach allegedly told him to stop whining and to get back out on the field.
Neither Frostburg State nor the NCAA returned the Washington Times’ requests for comment.
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Author Bio
Valerie Johnson
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Valerie Johnson is a North Carolina personal injury and workers’ compensation attorney dedicated to helping injured and working people across the state. A board-certified specialist since 2000, she is the Immediate Past President of the North Carolina Advocates for Justice and author of North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Law: A Practical Guide to Success at Every Stage of a Claim.
