Arena League Football star Darryl Hammond, who played professional football for more than 16 years and even appeared in movies, is involved in a posthumous lawsuit after his family claimed 200 concussions sustained over the years of football contributed to his untimely death.
The family of Hammond, including three children and his wife, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Arena Football League, Walt Disney Pictures and Paramount Pictures claiming his years of playing football, as well as contributing to the filming of football movies, caused “traumatic, sub-concussive and concussive head impacts.
Hammond died in 2017 after battling ALS at 49-years-old, and afterwards his family donated his brain to Boston University’s CTW Center and Program. An autopsy revealed he suffered more than 200 concussions, which the family makes clear is “all from football.”
Hammond was diagnosed with CTE Stage III and massive head trauma.
In 2004 Hammond worked as a stunt double in the Adam Sandler remake of “The Longest Yard,” and in 2006, he portrayed football player Harold Carmichael in the Mark Wahlberg movie, “Invincible.”
The family claims the repeated takes and filming that was needed for the films contributed to the CTE. Hammond also had a 6-year career in the AFL, where he is still a top athlete in several categories, including receiving yards. He was also inducted into Arena Football League Hall of Fame in 2013.
The lawsuit is aiming to collect damages from Disney, Arena Football and Paramount.
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