Former Texas football player Julius Whittier has filed a $50 million class action lawsuit against the NCAA, according to KEYE-TV.
Whittier, the first African-American player in school history, was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer’s disease in 2012. He claims the repeated head trauma he sustained during his playing career caused his health issues.
According to KEYE-TV, Whittier’s lawsuit against the NCAA “includes all former NCAA football players who played from 1960-2014 who did not go on to play professional football and who have been diagnosed with a latent brain injury or disease.”
Whittier played for Texas from 1969-1972 as an offensive lineman and tight end. His lawsuit states the NCAA breached its duty to protect players “in the face of long-standing and overwhelming evidence regarding the need to do so.”
