GRIDIRON GREATS DIRE NEED PLAYER STORIES
Partial Overview of GGAF Grant Disbursement
These are just a few stories that illustrate the variety of dire situations facing some retired NFL players and their families.
* Some names do not appear at the request of those individuals who prefer not to publicly disclose their name. The "GGAF" assists many players, only a few choose to tell their stories publicly. It is at the complete option of players who are working with us to publicly share their information with or without the use of their name.
Tim Harris (Packers/Eagles 1986-1995)
- Suffers from severe football injuries, lives with chronic pain and very little mobility.
- Lost 80% of right triceps muscle, severe nerve damage in legs and fingers due to neck injuries that required surgery, voice box damage due to neck surgeries.
- Both rotator cuffs torn to the point of possibly needing replacement.
- Has had six surgeries on left shoulder (has another surgery on Wednesday morning)
- Has had two surgeries on neck
- Has had four surgeries on right shoulder
- Has had eight surgeries on right triceps muscle.
- Hip will need eventual replacement
- Cannot function without pain medications and medications to reduce inflammation
- Cannot sit, stand, sleep for any length of time
- According to Tim he was Denied 8 times for NFL disability (was told he could perform sedentary work)
- Was assigned to see a neutral physician assigned by the plan in Oakland that didn't’t bother to examine Tim—the doctor said just he wouldn't’t qualify.
- Applied for assistance from NFLPA’s Player Assistance Trust they provided Tim with one month’s rent.
- Single father, raising 2 young boys by himself.
- Tim has been unable to maintain steady employment and has depleted all of his savings from his playing days to support his family.
Dwight Harrison (Broncos 1971-1972, Bills 1972-1977, Colts 1977-1979, Raiders 1980)
- Dwight is 58 years old
- His home was destroyed during Hurricane Rita. He now lives in a FEMA trailer with no running water. He has been unable to get help from the NFLPA's Players Assistance Trust
- He says that most of his issues are head injury related. Post concussion syndrome—no short term memory, inability to concentrate, focus, severe depression. Similar to Brent Boyd.
- Dwight has no income whatsoever. He has no vehicle and is completely isolated.
- Dwight was receiving disability but his disability and was taken away by the NFL Benefits Office.
- Dwight’s pension was also taken away to pay for the Benefits Office legal fees and to repay the disability he had already received.
- He was in jeopardy of having his electric turned off and didn't have money to buy food, do his laundry, etc.
- Dwight's wife left him due to his financial difficulties and soon after, his son committed suicide.
Larry Morris (Rams 1955-1957/Bears 1959-1965/Falcons 1966):
- Larry Morris suffers from dementia.
- His wife is struggling to care for him at home, while working a full-time job to make ends meet. She does not want to put him in an institution , she wants to care for her husband.
- In order to receive the highest benefit from the NFLPA from the"88" plan it requires that Larry be institutionalized.
- Larry's wife wants to care for Larry herself in their home so they can be together.
- She was only granted the lower level of the "88 Plan" as she will not institutionalize Larry.
- Larry receives under $1,000 a /month from the NFL as his pension.
- Kay (Larry’s wife) was falling behind in paying their bills.
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