JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – After eight days of testimony from medical experts, NFL players, coaches and management, a Duval Couny jury will hear closing arguements from attorneys Friday, then decide whether former Jacksonville Jaguars lineman Jeff Novak received negligent treatment in 1998 that the player claims prematurely ended his NFL career.
Jeff Novak (pictured, right, from his testimony on Friday) is suing Dr. Stephen Lucie and Jacksonville Orthopedic Institute for malpractice over care the Jaguars player sustained after a training-camp injury almost four years ago.
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Lucie opened up Novak's leg to drain blood from a bruise in a training room in the stadium, an operation that Novak's attorneys said led to the end of the player's career.
Lucie took the stand in his own defense Tuesday, calling the proceedure "appropriate," and that the operation had nothing to do with an infection that appeared weeks later.
"After discussing (the pain) with him, the best way to give him relief was to relieve the pressure and remove the hematoma," Lucie said. "Jeff was pushing very hard to play. He was obviously trying to improve his position on the team."
The doctor testified that NFL players are treated differently then other patients because they typically heal faster and have access to doctors four or five times a day.
"It was not at all uncommon for them (players) to come in and say, 'Doc, this thing really hurts. I don't think I can do this tomorrow.' If that was the case ... they weren't pushed to do it," Lucie said.
On cross examination, Novak's attorney's attacked whether Lucie had the best interest of the patient in mind. They said that when Novak had a 102 degree fever, he was told to go to the hotel for the team meeting. Novak then suited up the next day before getting results that the wound was infected with staph and E. coli.
Novak's attorney, Pat Dekle, said there is no record that Lucie even prescribed Tylenol for the fever.
Novak's attorneys argued the injury left him no playing time to prove his ability, and no game tape for other teams to look at.
Coach Tom Coughlin took the stand Wednesday, suggesting that Jeff Novak would never have been the Jaguars No. 1 center, even without an injury.
"I did not think of Jeff as a starting center," Coughlin said.
Coughlin said while Novak had started a few games as a lineman, he always was considered a back-up player.
"I liked his athleticism, I liked his quickness, his agility," Coughlin said. "(I) did not think he was a power player."
Coughlin admitted Novak's later back injury did affect a decision not to re-sign him. But he says the July 1998 leg injury had no bearing on his decision.
"As a back-up player with an injury, especially with free agent status, we were willing to let Jeff to go into the market and see if we couldn't improve our football team," Coughlin said.
Several former and current Jaguars players testified on behalf of Novak, including Mark Brunell and Tony Bosselli.
In addition to medical testimony, the defense called former Jaguars vice president Michael Huyghue and Chicago Bears general manager Jerry Angelo to the stand to tell the jury how personnel decisions are made by NFL teams.
Previous Stories:
- July 15, 2002: Boselli Takes Stand In Novak Trial
- July 12, 2002: Novak's Family Takes Stand In Negligence Case
- July 10, 2002: Brunell: Novak Could Have Played 3-5 More Years
- July 9, 2002: Case Against Jaguars' Doctor Under Way