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Former Penn State team doctor files lawsuit, claims that James Franklin pressured him about clearing injured players
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Football is a tough sport.
It’s a sport where players are getting hurt almost constantly. A few weeks into any football season, nobody is 100 percent healthy. Although, there are times when players can still play when they’re not at 100 percent. A player’s pain tolerance has something to do with it, but that isn’t everything.
There are certainly times when players get hurt and they should not be playing. During a game, this can be a bit murky. Over the years, player safety has become a premium. When a player gets knocked out of a game, they have to pass certain tests — more than just saying, “I’m good.” to return to the field and play again.
At Penn State, there appears to have been an issue with that. According to a lawsuit by former Penn State team doctor Dr. Scott A. Lynch, Nittany Lions head coach James Franklin would pressure him about clearing injured players to return to the field:
— David Jones (@djoneshoop) August 26, 2019
From Matt Miller at pennlive.com, “Lynch contends that his complaints about Franklin’s supposed interference prompted Penn State officials to remove Lynch from his two posts charged with safeguarding the health of student athletes.”
Back in March, Lynch was removed as Orthopedic Physician for the football team and Director of Athletic Medicine from Penn State in March.
“He is seeking more than $50,000 in damages from the university in his suit,” Miller wrote. “He claims Penn State officials violated his rights as a whistleblower. Attempts were being made to try to contact Franklin and other Penn State officials about the suit on Monday morning.”
Kevin covers Big Ten football for Saturday Tradition.