Two more sue NCAA over concussions

Published Sep. 28, 2011 1:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

Two more former college football players have sued the NCAA, saying it failed to protect them from concussions.

The lawsuit was filed Wednesday in US District Court for the Northern District of Illinois and it seeks class-action status. The plaintiffs are former Central Arkansas wide receiver Derek Owens and former Northwestern offensive lineman Alex Rucks. Both claim they have suffered preventable brain trauma.

Attorneys for the players say the NCAA failed to establish a head injury screening system and hasn't enforced safety measures introduced in the 1970s. The lawsuit seeks to have the NCAA institute a medical monitoring program.

The NCAA called the lawsuit ''merely a copycat'' of a lawsuit filed earlier this month by former Eastern Illinois player Adrian Arrington seeking class-action status. The NCAA says Wednesday's lawsuit ''contains gross misstatements'' and plaintiff's attorneys ''have a fundamental misunderstanding'' of the NCAA.

The NCAA says it has addressed head injuries ''through a combination of playing rules, equipment requirements, and medical best practices.''