Exclusive | Ex-NFL punter sues NCAA after heartbreaking Parkinsons diagnosis
A former NFL star turned orthopedic surgeon is suing the NCAA, claiming his medical career is finished after repeated concussions he suffered as a college athlete led him to develop Parkinson’s disease.Patrick O’Neill, 55, was an Academic All-American and University Scholar at Syracuse University, where he played on a football scholarship from 1990-1993.
He claims that during his collegiate football days, he was urged to power through head injuries and was kept in the dark about their risks.“The NCAA failed to protect Patrick O’Neill’s health and safety, because it failed to make the game of football as safe as possible, and because it failed to keep Patrick O’Neill informed so he could make reasonable decisions about whether to play college football and how to play it safely,” says the suit against the NCAA, filed Nov.2 in Manhattan Supreme Court.After graduating, O’Neill was drafted in 1994 as an NFL punter and played for the New England Patriots, Chicago Bears, New York Jets and Jacksonville Jaguars.
He was named the NFL All-rookie punter during his first pro season with the Patriots.But he soon left the NFL to pursue his real dream — becoming a doctor.In 1998 he was accepted into John Hopkins University Medical School in Baltimore.The MD launched a successful career as a surgeon and became the chief of orthopedic surgery at Sarasota Memorial Hospital.He currently practices at Kennedy-White Orthopedic Center in Sarasota, Florida.
He’s the only board-certified fellowship-trained foot and ankle orthopedic surgeon in the county.“This brain disease has forced Patrick O’Neill to suffer great loss, including in his ability to practice as an orthopedic surgeon,” the complaint claims.The degenerative disease can cause tremors, slowed movement and other symptoms that grow progressively worse.O’Neill contends in court docs the NCAA knew about the dangers of repeated head trauma but failed to warn or protect its athletes.O’Neill blames the N...