A former Texas Christian University wide receiver who claims he was forced to play with an injured and unstable pelvis has sued the university's head football coach, its former athletic director, the school and various university officials, and the Big 12 Conference.
Kolby Listenbee injured his pelvis during a 2015 game against Southern Methodist. He sat out for two weeks, but alleges he was "continually harassed, humiliated, pressured, and threatened" by TCU coach Gary Patterson, then offensive coordinator Doug Meacham and others to return to action. Once Listenbee did, he claims TCU sports medicine staff members administered "continuous injections" of local anesthetics and corticosteroids before and during games.
As reported by ESPN.com, Listenbee asserts in a lawsuit filed Wednesday that he was diagnosed with pelvic instability and should have undergone six months of rest and rehabilitation. His early return to the field required him to later undergo surgeries to repair two sports hernias and a pelvic fusion procedure involving a metal plate. He seeks more than $1 million to compensate for his inability to play in the NFL due to the pelvic instability.
TCU responded with the following statement: "As a practice, Texas Christian University does not comment on the specifics of pending litigation. However, TCU takes tremendous pride in its long-standing tradition of excellence in providing a positive experience for its student-athletes, especially in the areas of care, prevention and rehabilitation of athletic injuries."
Listenbee's lawsuit targets the Big 12 over its "lack of policies, procedures and protocols" in safeguards against coaches pressuring athletes to play through injuries.
