Philadelphia Eagles’ First-Round Draft Pick Jalen Carter Named in $40 Million Lawsuit

Jalen Carter, the former Georgia Bulldogs football star who was selected by the Philadelphia Eagles in the first round of this year’s NFL Draft, has been named in a $40 million lawsuit for his involvement in a car accident that killed his University of Georgia teammate Devin Willock and team staffer Chandler LeCroy, according to ESPN. The lawsuit was filed by Willock’s father and also names the University of Georgia Athletic Association, LeCroy’s estate and Athens strip club Toppers International Showbar, where the group met before the crash.

“The attorneys who filed the Complaint have refused to provide any factual basis for their claims against the Athletic Association, and we believe the evidence will prove them to be without merit,” the Georgia Athletic Association said in a statement. “We intend to strongly dispute these baseless allegations in Court.” Willock and LeCroy died on Jan. 15 hours after the football team celebrated their second straight national championship with a parade and ceremony. According to police, LeCroy was driving an SUV that was racing Carter’s SUV before the accident. Former Bulldogs player Warren McClendon and another staffer, Tory Bowles, were injured in the crash.   

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department told PEOPLE, “Both vehicles switched between lanes, drove in the center turn lane, drove in opposite lanes of travel, overtook other motorists and drove at high rates of speed, in an apparent attempt to outdistance each other.” LeCroy, 24, was believed to be driving at 104 miles per hour and lost control of her vehicle. It was reported she had a blood alcohol concentration of .197 during the time of the crash. 

According to Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Carter spoke to officers at the scene of the accident and provided conflicting stations. He first told officers he heard the crash from a nearby apartment building but then said he was driving behind LeCroy and not racing her. An arrest warrant was issued for Carter who turned himself in to police on the say day. He pleaded no contest to the charges and was sentenced to 12 months of probation along with 80 hours of community service and has to pay a fine of $1,000. Carter, 22, was a unanimous All-American for Georgia last season, recording 32 tackles and 31 quarterback hurries. He also helped the Bulldogs win national titles in 2021 and 2022.