Head-trauma lawsuits against NFL grow into hundreds

By David Ariosto
(CNN) -- A nasty collision during a kickoff in 1997 left Kevin Turner seeing stars. The former Philadelphia Eagles fullback, who spent eight seasons battering through defensive lines in the National Football League, said the hit left him wondering where he was. Still, the team's medical staff looked him over and eventually sent him back out to play, he said.

A little over a decade later, the former Eagle is battling the debilitating effects of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, often known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease. He said his doctors have told him that "there's no cure, you're going to die within two to 10 years, and get your affairs in order." Since the diagnosis, Turner has lost most of the use of his hands and arms. He's also agreed to submit his brain to scientific study following his death.

Turner is one of hundreds of former NFL players and their families currently suing the league for alleged negligence, claiming that it didn't do enough to mitigate the risks despite what many say is an inherently dangerous sport.

Stars such as former quarterback Jim McMahon, as well as running backs Jamal Lewis and Dorsey Levens, have filed similar lawsuits in states across the country. Attorneys representing Lewis and Levens accuse the league of having used a "hand-picked committee of physicians" to misrepresent evidence of the effects of head trauma, particularly concussions. "We do believe the NFL knew and had that available information with them for many years now," said attorney Mike McGlamry.

The league denies the claims and released a statement saying it "has long made player safety a priority and continues to take steps to protect players and to advance the science and medical understanding of the management and treatment of concussions."

The league has in recent years also made strides to strengthen rules that govern on-the-field conduct while adding sideline medical staff -- unaffiliated with the teams -- to more independently evaluate injured players.

Critics, meanwhile, say the league should have made the changes years ago and have called for more protections. Part of the issue, noted a former Atlanta Falcons linebacker, is a sports culture that largely encourages behavior out-of-step with the recognized risks of head trauma. It's exacerbated when coaches, even at the high school level, say "'Oh, you just got your bell rung. Get back out there and play,'" noted Coy Wire. That attitude, he added, can contribute to the risks of long-term brain damage.

A recent study conducted at Boston University's Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy found evidence of a condition called chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- a dementia-like brain disease -- had been found in the brains of 14 of 15 former NFL players. Their cases shared a common thread -- repeated concussions, sub-concussive blows to the head, or both, according to the study.

Many of those named in the recent claims, meanwhile, describe a range of common symptoms that include headaches, sleeplessness and dementia. But whether the league can be proven liable for alleged mistreatment of players, who often acknowledge the risks and likely also suffered head trauma during their high school and collegiate years, is expected to be the source of a drawn-out legal battle involving a growing number of plaintiffs.

Still, family and friends close to the players are often left to deal with the gritty aftermath of day-to-day living once the bright lights of prime time fades. Teresa Foley, the wife of former New York Jets quarterback Glenn Foley, who is named in the class-action lawsuit, said she'd like to organize a support group.

She says her husband, a 41-year-old New Jersey native selected in 1994 by the Jets, has faced bouts of depression and severe memory loss since his retirement from the league more than a decade ago. "I sent him to the supermarket a couple of months ago with a list of a few things," said Teresa Foley. "He went with the list. But he forgot what he had to get, and also forgot that he had a list."

The former quarterback returned home empty-handed.