A former Super Bowl starter for the Minnesota Vikings is among the 15 plaintiffs who filed a concussion lawsuit against the NFL last week, the Pioneer Press reports.
Jackie Wallace – a cornerback who started for the Vikings in Super Bowl IX against the Pittsburgh Steelers and started all 14 regular season games for the team in 1974 – is among the plaintiffs in the suit filed May 28 in U.S. District Court in Philadelphia.
Miami Dolphins Hall of Fame quarterback Dan Marino is also among the plaintiffs in the suit, joining 4,500 other retired players who claimed they suffered long-term health effects that stemmed from head trauma while playing in the league.
Also among the plaintiffs in the group of 4,500 retirees are Vikings defensive greats Carl Eller and Jim Marshall.
The group of 4,500 players originally settled a lawsuit against the NFL for $765 million in August 2013, but the settlement was rejected by a federal judge in January, USA Today reports.
Wallace was drafted in the second round by the Vikings in 1973 and was the 35th pick overall. He left the team after the 1974 season and played two seasons with the Baltimore Colts before signing with the Los Angeles Rams in 1977. Wallace, who played the Rams for three seasons, led the NFL with punt returns and punt return yardage during the 1978 season.
According to the Pioneer Press, Wallace has been the subject of several reports over the years because of his troubles, which have included drug and alcohol problems, as well as homelessness.
The Baltimore Sun profiled Wallace’s problems in 1992, when he was found homeless and sleeping under a bridge in New Orleans. Wallace was also part of a 2012 WDSU report on the closure of the New Orleans Mission homeless shelter.
