Dwight Harrison used to be a feared defensive back who played in the National Football League for nine years, including the 1978-79 seasons with the Baltimore Colts.
Today, he lives in Beaumont, Texas in a trailer given to him two years ago by FEMA after he was left homeless following Hurricane Rita. Unable to work due to an undisclosed illness since retiring from the NFL in 1980, Harrison, 58, has also divorced his wife and dealt with the suicide of his son, Jonovan, in recent years.
Harrison also has no disability benefits or pension from his playing career, which he said the NFL revoked following a legal dispute and left him paying hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs.
His story is similar to many discussed Tuesday during a hearing before the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. The hearing was the latest chapter of the long-standing battle between the NFL, the NFL Players Association and retired players, who believe they are denied proper medical benefits to pay for their costs stemming from debilitating injuries they suffered during their NFL careers.
“I have a lot of pride, but I feel like if the NFL had helped me instead of forgotten me, I might not have lost my wife and my son might be alive today,” Harrison said. “I don?t want him to have died in vain, and I hope by coming forward it will help others in need do the same.”
Retired players have long criticized NFLPA Executive Director Gene Upshaw for not doing enough to help retired players with the financial strains caused by injuries sustained during their NFL careers.
Upshaw testified Tuesday he would like to see Congress make the NFL?s cumbersome disability process easier. He would also like to change federal law so the union has more power on the retirement board that reviews disability claims. The NFLPA names three retired players, and the owners name the other three?one of whom is Ravens President Dick Cass?to compose the Retirement Board, which rules on disability claims.
“Since the NFLPA has been criticized when applications are denied – even though a majority vote of the six trustees is necessary to make a decision -and since currentplayers are funding the system, it makes sense for the players to be the ones making the disability decisions,” Upshaw said.
Following the hearing, a group of former players held a news conference organized by the Gridiron Greats Assistance Fund, a Wisconsin-based non-profit organization that provides financial assistance and other emergency aid to former players. Those players said they are leery of Upshaw?s claims, but are optimistic progress is on the way, especially with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell now in charge.
“The men who played professional football decades ago deserve our respect and recognition, and their contributions to our game must never be overlooked,” Goodell said. “I honor them and their achievements, and neither I nor the NFL clubs will turn our backs on them.”
Many retirees also question how many players have received disability assistance. They claim about 120 of the roughly 10,000 former players receive disability payments. However, Upshaw testified that 428 of 1,052 applicants since 1993 are receiving benefits.
“This is a system based on denial, and they don?t want to pay,” said former Dallas Cowboys fullback Darryl Johnston, who retired in 1999 after breaking his neck and was subsequently denied disability. “This leads to strong words like fraud, corruption and cronyism. When you go through it, that?s the impression you get and there?s really no way to defend it.”
