Cleveland Browns Facing Lawsuit Over Jurevicius' Staph Infection

NFL News - June 30, 2009 - Written by Jimmy

Ex-Cleveland Browns' wide receiver Joe Jurevicius has filed a lawsuit, in Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court. Basically, the lawsuit is over a lack of sanitary conditions which eventually lead to a Staph infection, for Jurevicius, among others in the Cleveland Brown locker room. Since 2006, there have 33 cases of Staph contracted by NFL players, with 6 of those cases coming from the Browns.

Jurevicius, who came over to the Browns in 2006, from the Seattle Seahawks, missed the entire 2008 season, after contracting the Staph infection during an arthroscopic knee surgery, which was performed at the Cleveland Clinic. Since that surgery, Jurevicius has had 7 more surgeries, on the same knee, to try an clear the Staph infection, which now threatens his career.

In the lawsuit, Jurevicius is seeking $25,000 plus punitive damages as well as legal fees. Also in the suit, it claims that "Jurevicius may never be able to play football again." which is going to be really tough, considering that the Browns cut Jurevicius, in the 2009 offseason.

In his career, Jurevicius has had stints with the New York Giants, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Seattle Seahawks, and most recently with the Cleveland Browns. In 10 seasons with the National Football League, Jurevicius has compiled 323 receptions, good for 4,119 yards and 29 touchdowns, in 133 career games. Jurevicius is also a Super Bowl winner, which earned while playing with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2002.