Taggart is named in Oregon lawsuit

TALLAHASSEE — Florida State head coach Willie Taggart has been named in a lawsuit filed by a former Oregon football player Wednesday.

Doug Brenner, who was an offensive lineman during Taggart’s tenure leading the Ducks, is suing Taggart, the University of Oregon, former Ducks strength coach Irele Oderinde and the NCAA for negligence. Brenner was hospitalized in January 2017 after strenuous offseason workouts caused rhabdomyolysis and he is seeking $11.5 million in damages.

Rhabdomyolysis is described as a breakdown of muscle tissue that releases a damaging protein into the blood. It can eventually lead to kidney damage.

According to Oregonlive.com, the 18-page lawsuit filed in Multnomah County circuit court on Wednesday stated the University of Oregon “failed to prohibit, regulate or supervise the workouts, which they describe as ‘physical punishment regimens.’ ”

The site also reported the lawsuit alleges Taggart and Oderinde, who are both now at Florida State, were “negligent in imposing and carrying out the workouts, and that the NCAA has failed to regulate such practices by coaches of its member institutions.”

The Oregonian reported Ducks offensive lineman Sam Poutasi and tight end Cam McCormick were also hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis.

One of Brenner’s attorneys, Mark McDougal, argued the NCAA needs to eliminate the offseason workout drills Taggart and Oderinde were accused of running at Oregon.

“The drills were done in unison, and whenever a player faltered, vomited, or fainted, his teammates were immediately punished with additional repetitions,” he said. “A key goal of this lawsuit is to force the NCAA to ban these kinds of punishing, abusive workouts. These workouts are contrary to NCAA guidelines for protecting players from injury and death. The NCAA needs to enact and enforce regulations that outlaw these practices.”

Brenner’s legal team states in the lawsuit his life expectancy has decreased by 10 years because of the workouts and he lost a future career in football.

Oderinde was suspended for a month without pay by the program in January 2017.