pakowitz

Walter seeked $2M against Ohio State teammate Bentley

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ESPN.com news services


COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A jury awarded a former Ohio State football player $6,000 on Wednesday in a lawsuit against an ex-teammate who punched him in the face after a team workout in 2000.


Tyson Walter, now an offensive lineman for the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, filed the lawsuit against LeCharles Bentley, the lineman who played next to him on the Buckeyes' offensive line. Bentley now plays for the New Orleans Saints.

The original medical bills for the broken nose were $6,000. Walter was seeking $2 million in medical bills, lost wages and punitive damages. Bentley only had to pay the initial medical bills and no follow-up, reports ESPN.com's John Clayton.

The jury didn't accept Walter's argument that the broken nose could be linked to a hip infection. It was the infection that forced Walter to miss the 2000, and Walter tried to claim that the missed season affected his draft status and cost him money.


"The $6,000 judgment is a complete, outstanding, total victory for LeCharles," Connors said. "They had to give him (Walter) something based on how the judge structured it."

The trial took more than two weeks. Walter, according to testimony, had to pay an expert witness -- a doctor from Virginia -- $4,000 to testify that the broken nose eventually caused a hip infection that forced him to miss the 2000 season.


Walter said he suffered a broken nose and teeth when Bentley sucker-punched him in February 2000.


Walter and his attorneys filed the lawsuit three days before Ohio State played South Carolina in the 2001 Outback Bowl. The Buckeyes lost the game, 24-7.

Ohio State coach John Cooper was fired the next day -- with the lawsuit cited as an example of how he had lost control of the team.


Cooper testified in Franklin County Municipal Court that he considered Walter a "cancer" on the team.


Walter's attorney, Todd Neuman, said Walter had not decided whether to appeal.


"It wasn't about the money," he said. "We're pleased in that regard."


Connors said Walter could have been awarded $65,000 in medical bills and also sought $1 million in punitive damages, $754,000 in lost wages and $200,000 to $300,000 for pain and suffering.


"This is what LeCharles was facing, and Walter got $6,000," Connors said.


After Walter came back for the 2001 season, he and Bentley played together on Ohio State's line.

D_it_up

I know LeCharles is happy that his wallet is only \"somewhat\" slimmer. That Walter guy is a moron.

LordOfEntropy

Man, it\'ll take Bentley 20 minutes of signing trading cards to handle that monstrous expense. I wonder how he\'ll ever find the time to cope with this Book-Of-Revelations style disaster.

Damn, he must really be sweating now.

JOESAM2002

I\'m still at a loss here. How in the hell do you get a hip infection from a broken nose?
Unless of course you had your nose up his butt. Or maybe LeCharles stuck the guys head up his own butt. Yea, that\'s it. LOL

D_it_up

Sounds logical enough to me...from what i hear LeCharles really did a number on him with that one punch, so anything is possible...LOL

LordOfEntropy

Well, I think we can pretty much guarantee that this guy will never play football again. If he tried, he\'d get laughed off the field. His football days are DEFINITELY over.

D_it_up

Isn\'t Walter still a member of the Cowboys?

JOESAM2002

Yep, last I heard.

rodjmaw

$6000-33%=$1980 lawyer cost
-$4000 expert witness cost
-????? $ court cost
= LESS THAN $20.00 FOR THE PLANTIFF


That make this guy the biggest DUMMY. Instead of being rewarded anything he PROBABLY will have to come out of pocket for court expenses. If he is lucky, he better hope that the lawyer didn\'t have a esculator clause in his contract.

[Edited on 3/5/2003 by rodjmaw]