The question is simple. Does the NCAA care about athlete’s health?
Another dose of reality is coming for the well-oiled football industry machine that has almost magically made the concussion issue disappear despite the fact that football players from the youth level to the National Football League are still getting concussions. The college football industry will be defending itself in a case involving the widow of a former University of Southern California player, Matthew Gee, who she said died because the NCAA failed to not only educate Matthew on the dangers of concussions but protect him from them. Alana Gee is alleging wrongful death and negligence. Matthew Gee played for USC between 1988 and 1992 and died in 2018. According to his widow, Matthew Gee lived what was a “relatively normal” life until 2013, when he began to experience confusion, rage and depression, according to the original complaint filed in 2020. Gee passed on December 31st, 2018, in his sleep at age 49. Matthew Gee told his physician that he sometimes suffered from memory loss. In many ways, Matthew Gee’s story is like many who suffered head injuries during his football career. Depression, loss of memory and rage are part of the symptoms that have been reported. Gee’s brain was studied after his death and it was found he was suffering from CTE.
The NCAA is taking a page out of the listen you did this to yourself voluntarily and we have nothing to do with your problem defense. The NCAA denied all allegations and pointed out that Gee “assumed the risk of playing football and collegiate football was not a substantial cause of Gee’s death.” The NCAA also punted claiming it’s a school not the organization that should take care of players. The NCAA is supposed to look after all aspects of college sports including athletes’ care. The concussion issue is not leaving the building.
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Evan can be reached at evan_weiner@hotmail.com
