Former Carolina football player Ryan Hoffman’s estate sues ACC, NCAA

The estate of former University of North Carolina football player Ryan Hoffman filed a class action suit against the Atlantic Coast Conference and the NCAA Wednesday, the Associated Press reported.

Sandra LaMountain and Noah Hoffman claimed both entities ignored the dangers of concussions, which led to Hoffman’s death.

Hoffman was a standout left tackle in the 1990s, starting for a Tar Heels team that ranked in the top 10. But his mental health declined after college, and drug and legal problems followed.

Hoffman died Nov. 16, 2015 after riding a bicycle into oncoming highway traffic in Haines City, Fla. and being struck by a vehicle.

He passed away in an ambulance on the way Heart of Florida Regional Medical Center. His only possession was $13 found in his shorts pocket.

After his death, doctors found evidence of chronic traumatic ecephalopathy, a degenerative disease of the brain found in people with a history of brain trauma, like concussions.

LaMountain and Noah Hoffman were appointed as co-personal representatives of Ryan Hoffman’s estate by a judge in Florida in 2016, according to the report.

The lawsuit says both entities knew the harmful effects of traumatic brain injury on student athletes for decades, it ignored those facts and failed to implement methods of warning and protecting student-athletes, the report said.

This story was originally published November 15, 2017 at 1:13 PM with the headline "Former Carolina football player Ryan Hoffman’s estate sues ACC, NCAA."