Former TCU running back passes away on Sunday

Former Texas Christian running back Kent Waldrep passed away on Sunday afternoon. The former Horned Frog was paralyzed in a game against Alabama in 1974. He ran the ball on a play called, “Red Right 28” sweep toward the Alabama sideline, where he was met by a number of Crimson Tide defenders. When he regained consciousness, legendary Crimson Tide football coach Paul “Bear” Bryant was standing over his hospital bed. Bryant developed an incredibly strong relationship with the Waldrep family that is still ongoing.

Bear Bryant was so upset after Waldrep was paralyzed that he didn’t return to Tuscaloosa with his team, but he instead visited Waldrep in the hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. There is a book written by Allen Barra named The Last Coach which goes into depth about Bear Bryant raising money for Waldrep to help buy him a wheelchair accessible van and pay his medical bills. Not only that, the legendary Alabama head coach took it a step further and got some financial assistance from his friend, former New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. Bear Bryant stayed in touch with the former TCU running back until Bryant’s death in 1983. Waldrep sat with the Bryant family at the legendary coach’s funeral.

At the age of 25, Kent Waldrep formed the American Paralysis Foundation. As the vice-chair of the National Council on Disability (he was appointed by former President Ronald Reagan), he helped write up the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Waldrep became a part of the Alabama football family. He was honorary member of the A-Club (Alabama’s letterman club). Kent Waldrep’s sons, Trey and Charley Waldrep, attended Alabama on Bryant scholarships.

Famous court case between Waldrep and TCU

Kent Waldrep decided to sue TCU for workers compensation coverage after the injury. On Oct. 20, 1997, 10 of the 12 jurors decided that he was not a TCU employee when he was hurt in the game against Alabama. “College athletes still are at the mercy of their schools. They are not protected. They are the ones who earn the money. We convinced two (jurors) and will continue talking about this,″ Waldrep said in a story written by Juan Elizondo Jr. of The Associated Press. The case was undoubtedly an important one in the history of the NCAA. There is currently ongoing litigation in the courts debating whether or not college athletes should be classified as employees of the universities.