ROCK HILL, S.C. — A lawsuit against the NFL and South Carolina State University by the father of a football player who killed six people could be moved to federal court if the league is granted its request.
The NFL filed its request on May 2 in Orangeburg County Court in South Carolina, where Alonzo Adams, the father of the late Phillip Adams, filed the lawsuit.
The filing was the first response to the lawsuit from the NFL since Adams added the league to its defendant list in March. The lawsuit was originally filed in April 2023 solely against SC State.
In the lawsuit, Alonzo Adams alleges SC State and the NFL were negligent in educating Phillip Adams on head trauma and for failing to provide better protections for players.
The suit states that head trauma led to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and ultimately, Phillip Adams's death.
On April 7, 2021, Phillip Adams shot and killed Robert Lesslie, 70, his wife Barbara Lesslie, 69, and two of their grandchildren, Adah, 9, and Noah, 5, as well as two HVAC workers, James Lewis, 38, and Robert Shook, 38 in Rock Hill. Dr. Robert Lesslie was a prominent doctor in Rock Hill. He treated patients at Riverview Family Medicine & Urgent Care.
Police say Phillip Adams took his own life as officers were closing in on him.
Shortly after the killings, Alonzo Adams spoke with WCNC Charlotte and said he believed his son's career played a role in his downfall.
"I can say he's a good kid," Adams said at the time. "I think the football messed him up."
Phillip Adams played football at SC State from 2006 to 2009. His family's lawsuit states his university's lack of education on head trauma, training employees on treating head injuries, and failure to keep players safe from head injuries, among other things, led to Adams's CTE issues.
Alonzo Adams states that because of these issues, the NFL and SC State are responsible for Phillip Adams developing CTE and eventually taking his own life along with six other people.
SC State responded to the lawsuit on May 2. The school denied many of the claims while saying the statute of limitations and sovereign immunity prevent the school from being responsible for other claims.
The school also claims that Phillip Adams knew the risks of playing football and its long-term health consequences.
"The Decedent had actual knowledge of and voluntarily assumed the risk of participation in the football program and, therefore, Plaintiff’s claims are barred under the doctrines of express or implied assumption of risk," SC State said in response to the lawsuit.
Phillip Adams played in the NFL for six seasons with six different teams. He graduated from Rock Hill High School before attending SC State.
