This case takes place in Florida and involves a young man, who was severely injured during a football drill during practice. The plaintiff was a high school student who was a starting player on the varsity football team at an all-boys catholic high school. As a function of his participation on the team, the plaintiff was expected to attend practice after school hours five days a week. During one practice, the plaintiff was required to participate in a specialized drill for running backs which required players to wear a heavily weighted vest while performing a series of agility drills, which placed a great deal of stress on player’s joints. During one portion of the drill, the individual coaching the players required them to jump onto a raised platform, then to jump back down to the ground 10 consecutive times. The plaintiff was participating in this aspect of the drill when, upon landing on the ground from the raised platform, he suffered tears to multiple tendons in his right leg as well as a serious dislocation of the knee joint. The plaintiff will require several surgeries and it is unlikely that he will ever be able to play football again.
