Former Lions running back Jahvid Best’s NFL career was a brief one after a series of concussions forced him off the field in November 2011.
Best was never able to get back to action, leading to his release last year and a role coaching at the University of California. There’s also been talk about reviving his career on the track, but Best’s not totally done with the NFL.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Best has filed suit against the league in Wayne County, Michigan alleging that the NFL was aware of the risks of head injuries suffered by players but didn’t do enough to protect players from getting them. Best also named helmet manufacturer Riddell as a defendant in the suit, which seeks unspecified “economic and noneconomic damages.”
“He was disabled from playing football due to the concussions. That’s all I’m really going to say,” Best’s attorney said, via Dave Birkett of the Free Press.
Birkett adds that the Lions are not part of the suit because Best, who also suffered concussions that caused him to miss his final games while he was playing for Cal, has a separate workman’s compensation claim pending against the team. The team declined to comment on either the suit or the claim.