The son of Art DeCarlo, a former NFL defensive back, is suing the NFL with the claim that his father died from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE, due to injuries to the brain he sustained during his 10-year career.
DeCarlo’s son claims the NFL did nothing to prevent his father’s injuries. He said his father sustained concussions on the field after temporarily losing consciousness, yet he would still return to the game.
After playing for the University of Georgia, DeCarlo was drafted in 1953 by the Chicago Bears. Prior to his death in December of 2013, DeCarlo’s family said that Art dealt with terrible neurocognitive issues such as horrible headaches, confusion and memory loss as a result of his concussions.
DeCarlo’s family alleges the NFL knew about the dangers of concussions but did nothing to make the players aware of the true medical consequences. Per the report, the family is suing the NFL for “civil conspiracy, negligence and fraudulent concealment and are seeking unspecified damages” at this time.
The reporters at TMZ Sports said they have reached out to the NFL in response to this claim but have heard nothing back.