As the 2013 draft approaches, questions remain regarding whether the spinal condition that forced linebacker Jarvis Jones from USC to Georgia will cause one or more teams to shy away from him in the draft.
And now there’s a question regarding prior work performed by the doctor who has given Jones clearance to play despite a case of spinal stenosis.
According to Mike Garafolo of USA Today, former NFL cornerback Samari Rolle has sued Dr. Craig Brigham for negligence arising from a spinal fusion surgery.
Brigham recently has written a letter explaining that Jones should be able to play football “without restriction,” and that he suffered only a stinger or a mild “spinal cord concussion” at USC.
Frankly, the question of whether Brigham botched Rolle’s surgery has no relevance to the question of whether Brigham accurately has diagnosed Jones’ condition. Bad outcomes tend to get doctors sued, regardless of whether they actually committed malpractice.
The real question here is whether someone hoping to undermine Jones’ draft stock has leaked the documents or otherwise tipped the media off to the existence of Rolle’s lawsuit.