Second hospitalized Oregon football player files lawsuit against UO, Willie Taggart, strength coach, NCAA for $5 million
Updated 12:02 PM; Posted Jan 11, 8:39 PM
Willie Taggart gestures as he is introduced as Florida State's new football coach during an NCAA college football news conference in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser)
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By James Crepea | The Oregonian/OregonLive
EUGENE — A second Oregon football player who was hospitalized in January 2017 following strenuous offseason workouts that resulted in rhabdomyolysis has filed a lawsuit against the University of Oregon, former football coach Willie Taggart, former strength coach Irele Oderinde and the NCAA for negligence.
Sam Poutasi, an offensive lineman who just completed his redshirt-sophomore season with the Ducks, is seeking $5 million in damages he suffered after his week-long hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis, including “physical and emotional pain, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and diminishment of avocational abilities, in the past, present, and future.”
In a 16-page suit filed in Multnomah County circuit court on Thursday, Poutasi’s attorneys make nearly identical claims to those made by former Oregon offensive lineman Doug Brenner, who filed an $11.5 million suit for negligence against UO, Taggart, Oderinde and the NCAA on Wednesday. Like the claims made by Brenner, Poutasi claims UO was negligent for failing to prohibit, regulate or supervise the workouts, that Taggart and Oderinde, both now at Florida State, were negligent in imposing and conducting the workouts, and the NCAA has failed to regulate such practices by coaches at its member institutions.
Updated 12:02 PM; Posted Jan 11, 8:39 PM
Willie Taggart gestures as he is introduced as Florida State's new football coach during an NCAA college football news conference in Tallahassee, Fla. (AP Photo/Mark Wallheiser)
72 shares
By James Crepea | The Oregonian/OregonLive
EUGENE — A second Oregon football player who was hospitalized in January 2017 following strenuous offseason workouts that resulted in rhabdomyolysis has filed a lawsuit against the University of Oregon, former football coach Willie Taggart, former strength coach Irele Oderinde and the NCAA for negligence.
Sam Poutasi, an offensive lineman who just completed his redshirt-sophomore season with the Ducks, is seeking $5 million in damages he suffered after his week-long hospitalization for rhabdomyolysis, including “physical and emotional pain, inconvenience, loss of enjoyment of life, and diminishment of avocational abilities, in the past, present, and future.”
In a 16-page suit filed in Multnomah County circuit court on Thursday, Poutasi’s attorneys make nearly identical claims to those made by former Oregon offensive lineman Doug Brenner, who filed an $11.5 million suit for negligence against UO, Taggart, Oderinde and the NCAA on Wednesday. Like the claims made by Brenner, Poutasi claims UO was negligent for failing to prohibit, regulate or supervise the workouts, that Taggart and Oderinde, both now at Florida State, were negligent in imposing and conducting the workouts, and the NCAA has failed to regulate such practices by coaches at its member institutions.
