A South Carolina jury has ordered the National Collegiate Athletic Association to pay $18 million to former college football player Robert Geathers and his wife, Debra, after finding the association negligent for not warning him about the long-term effects of repeated head injuries.
Geathers, 68, who played as a defensive end for South Carolina State University between 1977 and 1980, was awarded $10 million, while his wife received $8 million in damages, according to court records.
Doctors diagnosed Geathers with dementia several years ago. He now struggles with daily activities such as dressing and cooking. Medical experts who testified during the trial said he also shows signs of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a brain disease linked to repeated head trauma, though it can only be confirmed after death.
His lawyers argued that the hits he suffered during practices and games caused long-term brain damage that surfaced decades later. They accused the NCAA of failing to share information it had about concussion risks dating back to the 1930s.
“All of the information they knew, they withheld,” attorney Bakari Sellers told jurors. “Their job was to keep the boys safe.”
In response, the NCAA said it disagreed with the verdict and planned to appeal. It stated that its football programs followed the safety knowledge available at the time and denied that college football caused Geathers’ health issues.
“The NCAA has prevailed in every other jury trial around the country on these issues,” the organisation said in a statement, insisting that South Carolina State followed proper standards.
During closing arguments, NCAA attorney Andy Fletcher said the game itself carries unavoidable risks. “There’s going to be head-hits. That’s inherent to the game. You can’t take head-hits out of football,” he said.
The jury, however, ruled that the NCAA had “unreasonably increased the risk of harm” to Geathers beyond what was inherent in the sport and “negligently breached their duties” to protect his health.
After the ruling, Sellers said the verdict was a relief for the couple. “I felt good to hug Debra Geathers. She gets to go home and tell her husband some good news,” he said.
