Ex-Southern Miss player sues after he says he was barred from playing football
A former Southern Miss player is suing the school because he feels he was wrongfully not cleared to play due to having only one kidney.
Per the Hattiesburg American, Deven Hammond has filed a civil suit against the school. Hammond transferred from LSU following the 2015 season but never played for Southern Miss because the school discovered he didn’t have two kidneys over the summer.
The young athlete alleges he was no longer allowed to practice after he mentioned in passing he had only one kidney to Head Athletic Trainer Todd McCall on June 28.
Hammond claims in the civil complaint filed in federal court in Louisiana that McCall took him to Dr. Stephen Beam, a family medicine doctor, who after taking Hammond’s vitals and looking at his medical records told Hammond, “I just can’t clear you to play.”
Hammond told the paper that he got a second opinion — one that said he was OK to play — and was willing to sign a liability waiver because of the absence of one of his kidneys. And, as the article points out, NFL cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie has just one kidney.
Still, Hammond said the school didn’t let him play.
Hammond sat out the 2016 season because of transfer rules and was preparing to play in 2017 when he got the news. He said he sold his car while he was sitting out so he could make ends meet as he waited to get another chance to play.
He also said he had practiced for a month before he was told he couldn’t play and alleges officials at Southern Miss wrongfully told staff at Middle Tennessee State about his condition when he contacted the Blue Raiders.
Hammond, a native of Port Allen, Louisiana, was a member of LSU’s 2015 recruiting class. He would have been a redshirt sophomore in 2017 had he played for Southern Miss. He’s now back taking classes at LSU.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of Dr. Saturday and From the Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
