The parents of a Frostburg State University football player, who allegedly died after repeated head injuries suffered on the field, have accused coaches at the Maryland school of organizing high-risk drills that caused players to suffer repeated blows to the head. In the wrongful death lawsuit, Derek Sheely is alleged to have been allowed to return to the playing field despite prior bleeding from his forehead during several consecutive practice sessions in August 2011. Sheely was allegedly never checked for a concussion. The lawsuit alleges that the coaches treated all injuries, including concussions, in the same dismissive manner. This allegedly meant players were expected to play through the pain.
The lawsuit also names head coach Thomas Rogish, helmet manufacturer Schutt Sports, and the NCAA (among others) as defendants. The lawsuit characterizes the full-speed drills during the Division III school’s preseason camp as “a gladiatorial thrill for the coaches” and claimed that players who voiced complaints were marginalized. The complaint highlights that typical two-a-day practices involved constant head-to-head collisions, especially for fullbacks such as Sheely, which involved dozens of “concussive” blows. The complaint alleges that team officials knew or should have known that Sheely had suffered a concussion the prior season and took no protective action. Sheely, after having his forehead bandaged from a prior head blow in one August 2011 camp, told an assistant coach he didn’t “feel right” and had a headache in one practice on Aug. 22. He allegedly was chastised by coaches for not returning to the field quickly enough. When Sheely did later attempt to play that practice, he collapsed on the field, eventually lapsed into a coma and died days later on August 28, 2011.
Brain injuries in heavy contact sports (with a particular spotlight on football) have garnered much attention in recent years. Undoubtedly, both players and parents of student athletes are becoming more aware of concussions and their consequences and the rise of concussion litigation is clearly underscoring how common head injuries actually are in impact sports. Perhaps in response to the Sheely tragedy, the Maryland State School Board adopted regulations in May that require more concussion training for those responsible for student-athletes and enhanced protocols for addressing head injuries.