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Former player suing Notre Dame for negligence leading to spinal injury

Matt Cashore / USA TODAY Sports

Former Notre Dame linebacker Douglas Randolph is suing the university for negligence, alleging that results from a spinal scan he underwent would have stopped him from playing, but were concealed to him as he completed the 2015 season, according to Laken Litman and Mark Alesia of The Indy Star.

Current Notre Dame head coach Brian Kelly is also listed as one of the defendants.

Randolph alleges he was hit during a September 2015 practice and "suffered numbness in his upper extremities." His lawsuit claims that his complaints went unanswered by Fighting Irish trainer Rob Hunt, who was allegedly informed of how Randolph was feeling.

Randolph alleges that he played the entire 2015 season as a result. He was later diagnosed with spinal stenosis and was told he may have permanent nerve damage in his neck.

"If (Randolph) had been told the truth about the results of this MRI scan, his football career would have ended on that date and all subsequent injuries and permanent damage he has endured would have never occurred,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit adds that Randolph was cleared to play after the linebacker underwent an MRI, but that he never once saw the results.

Randolph also alleges in the complaint that he later "suffered complete numbness in all four extremities" during the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 1, 2016, and that he told Hunt of the fact, only for the trainer to say "continue playing," and "get back into the game."

University officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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