Posted on 03/07/2005 3:16:50 PM PST by SmithL
OAKLAND - Former Oakland Raider Marcus Williams has suffered "irreversible" brain damage as a result of being punched in the face in August 2003 by then-teammate Bill Romanowski, a doctor testified today.
Dr. William Mathews, who has 37 years' experience as a brain surgeon, testified in Alameda County Superior Court in Oakland as a witness for Williams in the ex-player's multimillion-dollar civil lawsuit against Romanowski.
Williams, 27, alleges his promising National Football League career when Romanowski knocked his helmet off and delivered a practice-field uppercut on Aug. 24, 2003. James Brosnahan, Williams' lead attorney, said the punch broke Williams' eye socket and caused brain trauma, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Mathews, who is affiliated with several Bay Area hospitals including John Muir Medical Center in Walnut Creek and Mount Diablo Medical Center in Concord, testified today about his observations of the effects of the blow.
"Overall, I think that Marcus Williams has a traumatic injury to his brain that in some aspects is irreversible," Mathews testified.
The surgeon said the injury has manifested itself in changes in Williams' personality and has also affected his intellect, speech, memory, vision and balance. Some of those changes, the doctor testified, are "probably irreversible."
Several of Williams' family members, including his mother and grandmother, testified last week in the civil trial that the punch had broken his spirit, transforming him from an upbeat and gregarious young man to someone who is now irritable and withdrawn.
Romanowski's attorney have rejected that notion that the punch resulted in any serious injuries and have characterized Williams as a marginal player now looking for an illegitimate payday.
Mathews is expected to continue testifying this afternoon.
Attaboy!
Anyone who can rip a helmut off and sucker-punch a guy in the eye - from behind - must be quite an athlete.
That's up there on the list of the most assenine statements I've read in a while.
And that is my point! - It does happen all the time but it is left out on the field and the public never becomes aware of it.
It doesn't turn into civil court cases where a player is looking for money - Williams was cleared to play football by NFL doctors - He simply has gone out and bought a Doc to suggest he can't play anymore and he wants money -
People sue businesses all the time with bought Doc's saying they can't do this or that and give me money - Williams is doing no different -
Ahhh, and you're a member of the super secret insiders club... Privy to all of the cool stories that we in "the public" aren't privy to.
Who killed JFK?
Yeah, Brilliant analysis -
No, the point being that if one has been around a football field at a competitive level you would have easily seen fights break out (to one extent or another). That isn't suggesting anything other than that is a fact -
Greg Lloyd had more than a few "rumored" fights with players at practice - LT did as well - Same goes for Ricky Jackson (and the list could go on and on and on).
Heck Michael Westbrook beat the hell out of some RB during practice that was caught on tape and I don't think any lawsuit came of it -
You've already used that one, try to be original.
if one has been around a football field at a competitive level
Yeah, you mentioned that a few times, too.
Greg Lloyd had more than a few "rumored" fights with players at practice - LT did as well - Same goes for Ricky Jackson (and the list could go on and on and on).
Oh, so now they are "rumored" fights...
Heck Michael Westbrook beat the hell out of some RB during practice that was caught on tape and I don't think any lawsuit came of it
I do believe that Westbrook caught major crap over that one, I don't remember the exact response. I do not, however, think that the incident was treated as "this happens all of the time". Bad choice for an example.
Wow. Don't read much?
Yup, don't think much?
That is called a figure of speech (I'll wait while you catch up).
The few guys I listed above have all had accounts of getting into pretty serious fights on the practice field. But that is where it was left - (and as I said, the list could go on and on and on) - Hell, I could give you a list of guys that played at Western Michigan where I played that were involved in practice fights (yet, you say you'd never heard of them) - But the point remains the same, fights happen quite often on the practice field.
Be it not every day by any means - But with enough frequency that when it does happen it isn't that big of a deal and it is left on the field.
Are you dense? The whole point is that this was not a case of two gladiators going to battle with each other. It was a huge, musclebound ape savagely attacking somebody who had no idea it was coming. Your little crusade for tort reform is misplaced in this instance.
Right. My whole point was that this is not a frivolous lawsuit.
Romanowski has always been a jerk. Always.
Thanks, but your advice is 35 years too late... :0)
LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!!!!
Instead of just breaking the guy's face, what if it had killed him? (Yes, one punch can and has killed people --- even big tough guys.)
Would that be a crime?
It was JJ Stokes that he spit at.
Bill Romanowski is one of the biggest a-holes in the history of American Sport.
Maybe so, but I'd still want him in the middle of my defense. Mean sunofabitch like a linebacker should be.
Jail? Try a mental hospital where once they lock you up, They throw away the key.
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