ROCK HILL, S.C. -- The college in South Carolina where Phillip Adams played football has denied wrongdoing connected to Adams’ brain injuries before he killed six people in 2021, court documents show.
Adams’ family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in civil court against S.C. State University earlier this year. That lawsuit alleges that the school failed to provide safety against head trauma and concussions while Adams played there from 2006 to 2009. S.C. State is in Orangeburg, S.C
Now, in a response to the civil lawsuit filed in Orangeburg County, lawyers for S.C. State have denied the allegations by Adam’s family. The South Carolina State response says Adams voluntarily played football at the school, assumed the risks of playing, and failed to exercise care for his own safety, court documents show.
“Decedent (Adams) had actual knowledge of and voluntarily assumed the risk of participation in the football program,” the response states.
Adams signed a waiver and/or release before playing on the S.C. State University football team, the response states.
The response further claims Adams had contributory negligence.
“As to any injuries or damages Plaintiff alleges were incurred, Decedent failed to exercise ordinary care for his own safety, such failure on his part proximately caused or damages alleged in Plaintiff’s Complaint, and any recovery should be barred or reduced by Decedent’s own contributory/comparative negligence,” the response states.
The 2021 shootings
York County Sheriff Kevin Tolson said in April 2021, that Adams fatally shot Barbara Lesslie and her husband Dr. Robert Lesslie, and two of their grandchildren, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5. HVAC workers James Lewis and Robert Shook of Gaston County in North Carolina also died after being shot.
Adams then killed himself when deputies surrounded his home. Because Adams was dead, no criminal charges could be filed against him.
Adams, who was 32 years old in 2021, lived with his parents near the Lesslie home.
The motive for the shootings remains unclear, Sheriff Tolson told The Herald.
Brain injury, NFL career
In December 2021, a doctor from Boston University said after examining Adams’ brain that Adams suffered from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, or CTE.
CTE is a brain condition caused by repetitive head trauma. It is sometimes found in former football players. The doctor said Adams had stage 2 CTE. The brain condition can be determined only after death.
Adams played for the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Oakland Raiders, New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons in the NFL before he stopped playing in 2015. The lawsuit filed by Adams’ family does not name any of those teams as defendants, but the suit does allege Adams suffered head trauma while playing professional football in the NFL.
Adams played for Rock Hill High School before playing for S.C. State.
What happens now?
The response from S.C. State asks that the lawsuit be dismissed.
No hearings or trial date have been set for the pending lawsuit.
