College Football

A workers’ compensation claim filed in Ft. Worth by a former college football player who was paralyzed in a game could have far-reaching effects on the relationship between universities and student-athletes on scholarship.

Former Texas Christian player Kent Waldrep, paralyzed in a 1974 game, has filed for medical benefits he claims are due him under the state’s workers’ compensation law. The claim was filed last week with the Workers’ Compensation Commission of Texas.

The heart of the question is whether scholarship athletes are certified by the commission as employees of the institutions that award them scholarships.