Seventy-Eight Football Players|Say UFL Stiffed Them for a Year

LAS VEGAS (CN) - Seventy-eight pro football players sued the United Football League, its founder and two of its teams, claiming they were never paid for playing in the 2012 season.

It's the latest in a string of lawsuits against the failed football league.

Lead plaintiff Scott Albrittion sued UFL Management, the Las Vegas Locomotives, the Omaha Nighthawks, and UFL founder William R. Hambrecht, in Clark County Court.

The lawsuit does not specify the wages owed. Some plaintiffs say they were due money in eight equal weekly installments throughout 2012, while others were to be paid on a monthly basis.

The players say they told Hambrecht they wouldn't suit up and longer play until they were paid.

In response, they say, Hambrecht told them that he would "personally guarantee the players and/or staff's wages/compensations and that he would pay them in full no later than Oct. 31, 2012." He then gave each player $1,000, according to the complaint.

The promise and the money "were both intended as inducements to plaintiffs so that they would continue to play and/or work the remainder of the 2012 UFL season," according to the complaint.

The players claim the defendants knew as early as August 2012 "that it was unclear whether the UFL would continue to exist as an operating football league due to its distressed financial situation," the complaint states.

The UFL, founded by Hambrecht in 2009, was disbanded on Oct. 20, 2012. Plaintiffs say they were never paid for the last season.

Longtime NFL coach Marty Schottenheimer sued Hambrecht in October 2012, claiming he was owed $2.3 million for coaching and managing.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban sued Hambrecht in January 2011, claiming Hambrecht failed to repay a $4 million loan.

Here are the 78 plaintiffs in the new complaint: Scott Albrittion, Davon Allen, Adrian Awasom, Danny Baugher, Ryan Boschetti, Jayson Boyd, Brian Brohm, Preston Brown, Nate Bussy, Gerald Codogan, Mike Caputo, Copland Bryan, Brandon Coutu, Wale Dada, Christopher Davis, Joseph Dickson, Phillip Dillard, Lamar Divens, Tim Duckworth, Dovonte Edwards, Mitchell Erickson, Matt Estrada, Demarcus Faggins, Antonio Fenellus, Dan Gay IV, Daverin Geralds, William Green, Cody Glenn, Morlon Greenwood, Nicholas Grigsby, James Harrell, Claude Harriott, Marcus Harris, Spencer Havner, David Herron Jr., Jacob Ingram, Jeffrey Jacobs, Anthony Jackson, Leslie Jasper, Jarvis Jones, Gershom Jordan, Jeremy Kellem, Danny Lansanah, Zachary Lee, Keith Lewis, Wynn Lewis, Eric Mcbride, Drew Miller, Andrew Mitchell, Devin Moore, Jay Moore, Travis Norris, Steven Octavien, Cory Ohnesorge, Schuylar Gordt, Jacob Pattillo, Sammie Parker, Joseph Porter, Jennifer Rice, Antonio Robinson, Sir Vincent Rogers, Titus Ryan, Harry Sanchez, Stuart Schweigert, Chris Smith, Gregory Smith, Marcus Smith, Clint Stitser, Phillip Trautwein, Art Valero, Robert Vaughn, Cecil James Wallace III, Aaron Weathers, Clay Weiler, Mark Wilson, Garrett Wolfe, Aaron Woods, and Zeljko Djukie.

They seek damages and punitive damages for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, and intentional and/or negligent misrepresentation.

They are represented by Andrew Rempfer with Cogburn Law Offices.

Subscribe to Closing Arguments

Sign up for new weekly newsletter Closing Arguments to get the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and hot cases and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world.

Email *

Submit