An Oklahoma football player reportedly has filed a civil lawsuit against the University of Washington for medical negligence when he played for the Huskies. The Seattle Times reported Thursday that current Oklahoma Sooners running back Emeka Megwa, who played for the Huskies from 2021-22, is suing the university and “nine current or former members of its sports medicine staff, coaching staff, athletic trainers and physical therapists” for negligence in rehabilitating an ACL injury he suffered in June 2021, leading to its reinjury in March 2022. His attorney, Andrew Ackley, says Megwa has “been set back multiple years in his recovery” due to the university’s negligence.
Megwa’s expected recovery timeline was between nine and 12 months for the initial injury. The lawsuit, filed in King’s County (Wash.), alleges that, after former Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer (now at Alabama) took the reins of the program in November 2021 — five months into that timeline — the new staff failed to communicate with Megwa regarding his rehab. The suit alleges that in January 2022, despite being told he was “between two and three months always from being cleared to play” by UW’s sports medicine staff, the team instructed Megwa to participate in conditioning and weightlifting. The suit claims Megwa reported pain in his shin later that month but was given new shoes rather than sent to see a doctor. In February, Megwa felt pain in his knee, but an on-field evaluation determined his ACL was stable, and he was allegedly given painkillers thereafter. Megwa’s camp alleges he was ridiculed in front of his teammates for sitting out and told to “drop your (expletive) nuts and get on the (expletive) line, that’s some (multiple expletives).” Megwa continued to lift and, again, was not sent to a physician when he again felt “sharp pain” up his left knee in late February.
