The widow of former college football player Gene Merlino has sued the NCAA, alleging her husband died at 55 as a result of suffering 14 concussions during his playing career.
Specifically, Merlino’s wife alleged that the NCAA suppressed knowledge about the dangers of traumatic brain injury in football.
According to the lawsuit, “the direct consequence of the NCAA’s misconduct was that Gene Merlino developed brain disease that manifest in a wide variety of symptoms, including self-medication, alcoholism, and an early death.”
Merlino played football at West Point Academy from 1984 to 1986, but was discharged from the Army allegedly because of the brain injuries he suffered as a player.
Following a well-worn path, the plaintiff charged that the NCAA knew about concussions, but did nothing about them.
“As of 1932, the NCAA knew not only of the link between football and latent brain disease, but the NCAA knew that the number of permitted concussions must be limited or the player might have to be banned from participation,” according to the lawsuit.
“If the NCAA had acted on this knowledge, Gene Merino would not have sustained repeat concussions in the same game and practice, and [he] would not have sustained the latent brain disease he developed later in life that led to his death.”
”Gene Merlino repeatedly sustained mild and possibly moderate concussions in the same game and/or practice in NCAA football, yet never knew these were concussions,” the plaintiffs claimed.
“Like every other NCAA Division I football player, Gene Merlino played through these injuries and was never removed from the field for examination, rest, and treatment.”
