Judge dismisses injured former UGA football player’s lawsuit over lack of insurance policy

Ex-Ga. player’s injury insurance lawsuit dismissed

ATHENS, Ga. — A judge has dismissed a former University of Georgia football player’s lawsuit against the university’s athletic association and one of its former employees.

Junior cornerback Decory Bryant’s football career ended with a neck injury in a game against the University of Alabama-Birmingham in 2003.

Bryant’s lawsuit said officials failed to complete paperwork for an insurance policy that could have awarded him up to $500,000. Bryant had prospects for a pro career but doctors told him it was too risky for him to continue to play.

Superior Court Judge Lawton Stephens ruled earlier this month that the athletic association and former administrator Hoke Wilder were entitled to protection under the principle of sovereign immunity, which bars lawsuits against state agencies.