New York: The National Football League was sued by three retired players seeking to establish a medical monitoring programme for brain injuries on behalf of all former players in the league.
Harry Jacobs, 74, Jerome Barkum, 61, and Tommy Mason, 72, said in a complaint filed in Manhattan federal court on Tuesday that they suffer from brain injuries as a result of repeated blows to the head during their playing days. Jacobs' and Mason's wives are also named as plaintiffs.
The retired players, who seek to represent all former NFL players in the US, asked the court for a declaration that the league knew or should have known that repeated head impacts and concussions put the players at risk of developing degenerative brain diseases later in life.
"The NFL has long made player safety a priority and continues to do so," Greg Aiello, a spokesman for the league, said in an e-mailed statement. "Any allegation that the NFL intentionally sought to mislead players has no merit."
Jacobs played 11 seasons with the Boston Patriots, Buffalo Bills and New Orleans Saints, Mason played 11 years with the Minnesota Vikings, Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins. Barkum, a first-round draft choice of the New York Jets in 1972, played his entire 12-year career with the team.
