LAWSUITS HAVE NOW BEEN FILED AGAINST THE NCAA OVER THE DEATHS OF FOUR FORMER COLLEGE FOOTBALL PLAYERS, INCLUDING A FORMER SAN DIEGO STATE AND SAN DIEGO CHARGERS PLAYER.
THE WRONGFUL DEATH LAWSUITS ALL CLAIM THE FOUR MEN DIED AS A RESULT OF THE BRAIN DISEASE CTE, WHICH STEMMED FROM CONCUSSIONS SUFFERED DURING THEIR PLAYING CAREERS.
JEFF STAGGS WAS A LINEBACKER AT SDSU IN 1965 AND 1966, AND PLAYED FOR THE CHARGERS AND CARDINALS IN THE NFL FROM 1967 TO 1974.
HE BEGAN SUFFERING FROM MEMORY LOSS, DEPRESSION, ANXIETY, AND OTHER HEALTH PROBLEMS YEARS AFTER HIS PLAYING CAREER ENDED, AND DIED 4 YEARS AGO AT THE AGE OF 70.
AN EXAMINATION OF HIS BRAIN FOUND THAT HE HAD BEEN SUFFERING FROM CTE.
HIS WIFE, SARAH STAGGS CLAIMS HER HUSBAND SUFFERED "NUMEROUS SERIOUS CONCUSSIONS AND WAS INJURED, INCAPACITATED, AND DIED AS A RESULT OF THE NCAA’S RECKLESS DISREGARD FOR HIS HEALTH AND SAFETY AS A SAN DIEGO STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT-ATHLETE".
THE INTERVIEW BELOW IS WITH CHRISTOPHER DORE, REPRESENTING EDELMAN PC, A LAW FIRM IN CHICAGO.