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Robert Geathers played football for South Carolina State University from 1977 to 1980. A jury found that the NCAA was negligent by failing to warn Geathers of the long term effects of concussions. Geathers who played defensive ends from 1977 to 1980 will receive $10 million in the civil trial. Debra Geathers is owed an $8 million settlement for loss of consortium. Geathers was diagnosed with dementia back in 2017 and doctors who testified during the trial stated that he displayed symptoms of CTE. He has memory loss and struggles to hold a full-time job. He also has difficulty with everyday tasks. His attorneys claim that his symptoms are the result of his football experience and did not manifest until many years after he left South Carolina State. They also alleged the NCAA knew of concussions risks associated with playing football since 1933, but didn’t inform coaches or players about them until after Geathers had finished his career. It found 47 incidents of negligence. Each year between 1933 and 1980 was cited.Sellers stated that the case was a “landmark” one.
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Greg Johnson, spokesperson for the NCAA, told the Associated press that the association does not agree with the verdict. The association is ready to appeal. He also claimed that South Carolina State had standards that were in line with the knowledge of head injuries at the time Geathers was playing and that college football wasn’t responsible for his health problems.Johnson stated that the NCAA had won every other jury case in the nation on this issue.
Geathers had been selected by Buffalo Bills as a third round pick in the NFL Draft of 1981. However, he never played a single game due to being placed on the injured reserve. Later, he was inducted into South Carolina State Athletics Hall of Fame for his football career and track and field achievements. Geathers’ three sons played in the NFL and his brother had a career as a professional athlete.
2025-10-26 18:03:43
