NCAA found not liable in death of former QB Cullen Finnerty

A jury in Indianapolis decided Wednesday that the NCAA is not responsible for the death of a former star college quarterback whose widow was suing the association for negligence.

Cullen Finnerty won three Division II national championships as the starting quarterback for Grand Valley State in the early 2000s. He died in May 2013 at age 30 after going missing while on vacation with his wife's family. An autopsy found that chronic traumatic encephalopathy — a disease caused by concussions and repeated blows to the head — was a contributing factor in his death. His widow, Jennifer Finnerty, sued the NCAA, saying the association did not properly protect college athletes and warn them about the risks of head injuries while playing football.

Lawyers representing the NCAA argued that Cullen Finnerty's death was caused by other health problems and addictions that were not a result of the concussion he suffered in college or smaller blows to the head that occurred during his playing days. The association also has maintained for many years that it is not legally responsible for the health and safety of college athletes.

The jury agreed with the NCAA's arguments after a three-week trial that included testimony from outgoing president Mark Emmert and several medical experts, among others.

«The Association was not negligent, and the lawsuit was not supported by medical science linking Mr. Finnerty's death to college football,» NCAA general counsel Scott Bearby said Wednesday in a statement. «We express our deepest sympathies to Mr. Finnerty's family and friends.»

Attorneys for Jennifer Finnerty did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday's verdict marks the second time in less than four