Posted on Sat, Feb. 04, 2012

The Miami-based negligence lawsuit against the NFL added more than three dozen former players as plaintiffs Friday, with former Miami Hurricane running back Najeh Davenport the most recognizable face in a collection of otherwise obscure retired jocks.

The suit is one of at least 20 legal actions the NFL faces nationwide. They all allege that the nation’s most successful sports league for decades ignored evidence that repeated head injuries suffered while playing football leads to serious health issues later in life, including memory loss, migraine headaches and depression.

The NFL argues that player safety has long been a priority, and that any allegation that it intentionally sought to mislead players about health risks is without merit.

Davenport, fellow Cane Santonio Thomas and ex-Dolphin Omare Lowe are among the latest to join the fight. They added their names to a complaint filed by more than 100 ex-players and their wives — including former Fins Mark Duper, Oronde Gadsden, Patrick Surtain, Lamar Thomas and Woody Bennett.