The Los Angeles Times reports that was the determination of the California Division of Workers’ Compensation after Sanders filed a claim due to injuries he’d suffered during his NFL career:
The case is pending, but in November 2010, Sanders was determined to be 86% disabled by the Division of Workers’ Compensation, case documents show. Four doctors who examined the former star diagnosed more than a dozen medical conditions, including cognitive impairment and behavioral/emotional disorder. The review also said Sanders suffered from arthritis and “arousal disorder,” a sleep impairment.
The Times discovered this information as part of an analysis of the state’s workers’ compensation data. Sanders is hardly alone among former players in claiming he suffered long-term physical damage from playing football. (You’re no doubt aware of the NFL’s recent $765 million settlement with former players over concussions.) The newspaper made him the face of today’s story because he looks like a hypocrite due to his past criticism of players who have demanded recompense from the league.
During the pregame show before February’s Super Bowl in New Orleans, Deion Sanders shared his thoughts about the thousands of former football players filing concussion lawsuits against the National Football League.
“The game is a safe game,” the television analyst and Hall of Fame cornerback said. “I don’t buy all these guys coming back with these concussions. I’m not buying all that. Half these guys are trying to make money off the deal.”
Sanders and his lawyers had no comment on the article.
