The family of former Texas guard and tight end Julius Whittier—the Longhorns' first Black football player—is suing the NCAA for negligence and wrongful death, according to David Barron of the Houston Chronicle.
They are seeking damages of over $1 million.
The family is contending in the lawsuit that Whittier's death—he died in 2018 at the age of 68 and had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease—was from head trauma that dated back to his football career. A postmortem examination of his brain revealed that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy or CTE.
Houston attorney Eugene Egdorf said the family's goal in the lawsuit was to provide justice and to promote awareness:
"Julius Whittier was a pioneer who became a lawyer and a member of the district attorney's staff in Dallas County, and his life was about justice.