Skip to content

Wife of Texas great Greg Ploetz sues NCAA over CTE

Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Texas legend Greg Ploetz died in 2015 at the age of 66, and now his wife has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, blaming her husband's death - among other issues - on weak NCAA guidelines regarding head trauma, according to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.

The 1969 national champion with the Longhorns as a defensive tackle was diagnosed with Stage 4 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) after his death, the highest stage of the disease.

The suit alleges the NCAA knew, or should have known, about the risks relating to the repeated blows to Ploetz' head, as well as not having return-to-play guidelines for those who suffered from head trauma.

"My reason for filing a lawsuit is I'm a little bit upset with the system," Deb Ploetz said. "No one seems to be listening. People seem to be listening but not the right people."

What makes this case different from similar ones is Ploetz did not play professional football and did not show symptoms until 2005, 33 years after last suiting up for the Longhorns.

"Stage 4 ... (are) athletes who have had the greatest exposure in terms of years of playing and who have lived the longest," head trauma expert Dr. Robert Cantu said.

"The disease, which doesn't necessarily stop when you stop playing, has had a lot of years to keep percolating," Cantu added.

The suit does not name Texas and does not specify any damages Ploetz is seeking.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox