From the magnificent bastards of CBS Sportsline:
A federal judge has ordered the NFL to pay the estate of Hall of Fame center Mike Webster disability benefits for head injuries caused by his football career.
U.S. District Judge William Quarles Jr. on Tuesday granted the request by Webster’s estate that the NFL Player Retirement Plan and the NFL Player Supplemental Disability Plan pay all benefits owed under the plan retroactive to March 1991, when Webster became totally and permanently disabled. The payment must also include interest.
Quarles did not set a dollar amount on the payment, but ordered the NFL and Webster’s estate to determine the amount in 25 days.
The suit had been filed in federal court in Baltimore, where the NFL plans are administered.
Webster, who played center for the Steelers from 1974-89, died in September 2002 in Pittsburgh. He was 50.
This decision comes three months after Greg Garber’s five-part piece on Mike Webster on ESPN.com.
