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Report: Oklahoma Running Back Files Lawsuit Against His Former School

Attorney Andrew Ackley says Emeka Megwa has "been set back multiple years in his recovery” due to the University of Washington's negligence.

Bryce McKinnis

Report: Oklahoma Running Back Files Lawsuit Against His Former School
Report: Oklahoma Running Back Files Lawsuit Against His Former School /

An Oklahoma football player reportedly has filed a civil lawsuit against the University of Washington for medical negligence when he played for the Huskies.

The Seattle Times reported Thursday that current Oklahoma Sooners running back Emeka Megwa, who played for the Huskies from 2021-22, is suing the university and “nine current or former members of its sports medicine staff, coaching staff, athletic trainers and physical therapists” for negligence in rehabilitating an ACL injury he suffered in June 2021, leading to its reinjury in March 2022.

His attorney, Andrew Ackley, says Megwa has "been set back multiple years in his recovery” due to the university’s negligence.

Megwa’s expected recovery timeline was between nine and 12 months for the initial injury. The lawsuit, filed in King’s County (Wash.), alleges that, after former Huskies head coach Kalen DeBoer (now at Alabama) took the reins of the program in November 2021 — five months into that timeline — the new staff failed to communicate with Megwa regarding his rehab.

The suit alleges that in January 2022, despite being told he was “between two and three months always from being cleared to play” by UW’s sports medicine staff, the team instructed Megwa to participate in conditioning and weightlifting. The suit claims Megwa reported pain in his shin later that month but was given new shoes rather than sent to see a doctor. In February, Megwa felt pain in his knee, but an on-field evaluation determined his ACL was stable, and he was allegedly given painkillers thereafter.

Megwa’s camp alleges he was ridiculed in front of his teammates for sitting out and told to “drop your (expletive) nuts and get on the (expletive) line, that’s some (multiple expletives).” Megwa continued to lift and, again, was not sent to a physician when he again felt “sharp pain” up his left knee in late February.

The suit claims that on March 7, an MRI determined Megwa had re-torn his ACL, “along with new medical and lateral meniscus tears.” He was allegedly told to enter the transfer portal and eventually walked on at OU. 

Megwa appeared in two games for the Sooners last season and carried the ball once for 6 yards against TCU but received ongoing treatment for his knee.

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Bryce McKinnis
BRYCE MCKINNIS

Bryce is a contributor for AllSooners and has been featured in several publications, including the Associated Press, the Tulsa World and the Norman Transcript. A Tishomingo native, Bryce’s sports writing career began at 17 years old when he filed his first story for the Daily Ardmoreite. As a student at the University of Central Oklahoma, he worked on several award-winning projects, including The Vista’s coverage of the 2021 UCO cheer hazing scandal. After graduating in 2021, Bryce took his first job covering University of Tulsa and Oral Roberts University sports for the Tulsa World before accepting a role as managing editor of VYPE Magazine in 2022. - UCO Mass Communications/Sports Feature (2019) - UCO Mass Communications/Investigative Reporting (2021) - UCO College of Liberal Arts/Academic presentation, presidential politics and ideology (2021) - OBEA/Multimedia reporting (2021) - Beat Writer, The Tulsa World (2021-2022) - Managing Editor, VYPE Magazine (2022-2023)

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