OT-Stafon Johnson suing USC
for his 2009 weightlifting accident. Interesting timing considering the incident was over a year ago, and USC's appeal to the NCAA just wrapped up. Smells like a money grab.
Edit: Link (beware the autoplay video)
http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/ncf/news/story?id=6055248
January 25th, 2011 at 12:17 AM ^
If he really thought USC did something wrong the suit would have came in months not a year. Complete BS.
January 25th, 2011 at 12:27 AM ^
If he really thought USC did something wrong the suit would have came in months not a year
This is not necessarily true. There is often a period of negotiation between the Plaintiff's lawyer and the Defendant, Defendant's insurance company, or Defendant's attorneys well before the case is actually filed. Sometimes the negotiations may go all the way up to the statutory deadline for filing suit.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:42 AM ^
Is that the time you have to weight?
January 25th, 2011 at 10:56 AM ^
Shirtless, I was flattered to be included on your "enemy's" list, but, regardless, allow me to second your statement here. Generally, there is a demand letter sent, then negotiation, and suit is the last resort. All parties are better-served if there is a legitimate claim to settle said claim without resorting to costly litigation. Not to mention there is probably a statute of limitations in play in California for personal injuries. It wouldn't surprise me if it were a 2-year statute if he was injured around 2 years ago, given the timing of the suit. If the Plaintiffs don't file their suit, then they lose all bargaining power, as they can't prevail or even go forward with a suit.
January 25th, 2011 at 12:21 AM ^
... Let's not jump to conclusions about what actually happened and let the legal system run its course. One thing we know is that the NCAA won't be managing this investigation so there is a chance it may have an outcome based on the facts and not on cash.
January 25th, 2011 at 7:28 AM ^
they don't generally make universal equipment that is safe and effective for the kind of weight athletes throw around - yet most of the lifts that are standard can be done safely with free weights if done properly. Johnson was doing a standard bench AFAIK. Racks exist that could prevent this sort of injury. You don't need to be able to retract the bar beyond your adam's apple to get the benefit of the full contraction that a bench provides.
The reality is many people don't even use weight locks or spotters when they should. It's a seat belt kind of thing. In the future hopefully there will be a culture change.
These athletes have no recourse - it's lift or don't compete. USC and all other sports organizations need to make this safe or suffer this sort of tort.
January 25th, 2011 at 12:54 AM ^
regardless of the timing. USC S&C should have had him a spotter.
January 25th, 2011 at 1:10 AM ^
IIRC, he came pretty close to being killed, and it had to effect his career path in a negative way, at least when it comes to playing football. I can't imagine anyone really being surprised by this lawsuit. As for the timing, why on earth would anyone expect him to sue the school while he was still on the team? They could have made his life even more miserable than the accident had.
Apparently, they had already covered up the details and lied about it to protect the image of the program, and instructed Johnson to lie about the accident. When the coaches are in a prospect's living room telling his parents how they are going to "take care of their boy" for the next five years, I'm pretty sure the S&C coach almost killing the prospect because he wasn't paying attention and the program instructing him to lie and cover up the truth isn't what the parents have in mind.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:31 AM ^
"Personal Responsibility". Of course they mean little anymore in today's society.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:40 AM ^
"Personal responsibility" is obviously a good thing, but it doesn't help a lot if someone else is negligent...
January 25th, 2011 at 1:28 AM ^
I'm not going to pretend to know more about this situation than Stafon Johnson almost having his head decapitated. I just hope whomever is responsible pays the price -> If it was the S&C fault, then USC is fined or he is fired... if it was an accident, then I am truly sorry for what happened, but that is life and no one else should suffer.
But that may just be me?
January 25th, 2011 at 2:18 AM ^
Agreed. If USC was negligent, then they had better reach into their pockets and pay for it.
If it was an accident, then it truly was tragic, and obviously Johnson has paid for it already.
January 25th, 2011 at 2:34 AM ^
Johnson is saying that the former Asst. S&C coach Yanchar was not properly spotting him? I'd really like to know the amount of weight he was lifting. Depending on the amount of weight it would require more than one spotter. If he actually did bump the bar causing the loss of control then there is no excuse or defense that USC can have. Yanchar is fortunate that he is no longer a coach at USC and can now only face real punishment by judicial penalty. Regardless, it's still a sad thing to see for a player of that kind of talent.
January 25th, 2011 at 2:52 AM ^
I would think it would only get worse if USC also fired him. No insurance and all.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:41 AM ^
No insurance and all.
Uhhh... huh?
January 25th, 2011 at 2:37 PM ^
January 25th, 2011 at 8:55 AM ^
IIRC he was benching 275 lbs. So more than one spotter was probably not necessary.
January 25th, 2011 at 3:33 AM ^
This is sort of off topic from the thread title but I can't find an answer anywhere so please bear with me...
USC is docked 30 schollys over 3 years, 10 from each year, so how the hell can USC have 25 commitments? Isn't that too much?
January 25th, 2011 at 7:50 AM ^
January 25th, 2011 at 8:23 AM ^
The early enrollees in this year's class don't count against the scholly cap.
January 25th, 2011 at 1:54 PM ^
Ahhhh I see that does make sense I didn't think about that since it would count for this school year. Thanks for the info guys.
January 25th, 2011 at 9:14 AM ^
I believe the following facts are right:
- Johnson was benching 275 lbs., a serious but not unusually-heavy weight for a college football player.
- Johnson was using the thumbs-around grip, where the thumbs are on the same side of the bar as the fingers. When viewed from the side, his hands would make a hook shape, instead of an "O".
- Among lifters, this grip is known as the "suicide grip" for exactly this reason.
- Johnson had a spotter.
- The bar slipped out of one or both of Johnson's hands at the top of the lift.
- No spotter on earth could have caught such a heavy weight in freefall. This is not what a spotter does or is for. A spotter is there to assist with a repetition that cannot be finished, and to help guide (guide, not carry) the bar back to the rack after the lift is completed.
So, to me, the whole issue will come down to the use of the "suicide grip." Why was Johnson using it? Was that his decision, or was he coached to do it? Had he done it in the past? Was he warned and educated about the risks of using that grip.
I don't know the answers to any of those questions for Johnson. I know that in my circle of serious lifters, none of us could bring this suit - we all know what the suicide grip is and the risks inherent in using it. And we know what a spotter is and is not capable of doing.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:45 AM ^
Great post and appreicate your insight. If the kid was "coached" to do the suiciede grip and never explained the risks of doing so then I as a jury of this kids peers would reward him some USC insurance money.
January 25th, 2011 at 10:52 AM ^
I believe Johnson is alleging that the spotter was not paying attention and bumped the bar with his torso, which caused it to fall. So the bumping of the bar would be an equally important fact.
January 25th, 2011 at 11:22 AM ^
I thought he was suing them, to get the rest of the money the promised him during recruiting. :D