The widow of Cullen Finnerty, the former Grand Valley State quarterback who died under unusual circumstances in 2013, is part of wrongful death lawsuits filed against the NCAA.

Jennifer Finnerty's lawsuit, filed Monday in Marion Superior Court in Indianapolis - home of the NCAA - coincided with separate suits against the NCAA filed by widows of former San Diego State linebacker Jeff Staggs; UCLA and Long Beach State running back Rodney Stensrud (1969-73) and the mother of former USC fullback Doug MacKenzie (1977-81).

Cullen Finnerty, who played at Grand Valley from 2003-06, led the Lakers to three NCAA Division II national championships and holds the team record for passing yards and is second in touchdowns (110). In 2006, he finished second in the Harlon Hill Award voting.

He was found dead in a campground after he became disorientated and went missing three days earlier during a family fishing trip. An autopsy later showed he suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy) a condition that has been found in other former football players as a result of head trauma.

Finnerty's lawsuit claims the NCAA "breached its duties" by ignoring the dangers of concussions and inadequate concussion protocols. Among the points, the lawsuit claims the NCAA failed:

MORE: See the complete lawsuit

* To recognize and monitor concussive and subconcussive injuries during practices and games;

* To inform student-athletes about the dangers of such injuries;

* To implement rules about when players could return to play after suffering concussions;

* To monitor their health after suffering concussions;

* To inform their families about the injuries.

"For decades, the NCAA has been aware--through its own institutional knowledge, medical science, and news articles about former football players--that severe head impacts can lead to long-term brain injury, including memory loss, dementia, depression, and CTE," the lawsuit contends. "Unfortunately, while the NCAA knew about the harmful and devastating effects of these sub-concussive and concussive injuries, it recklessly ignored these facts and failed to implement reasonable concussion management protocols to protect its athletes, including Cullen Finnerty."

Also "... The NCAA knew of the harmful effects of TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury) on athletes for decades, they ignored these facts and failed to institute any meaningful methods of warning and/or protecting the athletes, including the football players. For the NCAA, the continued expansion and operation of college football was simply too profitable to put at risk."

In late May, 2013, Finnerty went missing while on a family fishing trip near the Bray Creek area of the Baldwin River. Following an extensive search, that included members of the football team at the time, his body was found three days later at Bray Creek Campground by the Osceola County Search and Rescue Team.

He was 30 and left behind two young children.

Family members told authorities Finnerty may have been experiencing an episode of stress or paranoia at the time of his disappearance.

An autopsy conducted by the Kent County Medical Examiner's Office in August, 2013, said the cause of death was pneumonia - caused by inhaling his own vomit - and likely complicated by use of painkillers and "chronic traumatic encephalopathy" (CTE), a degenerative brain disease typically diagnosed in those with multiple past concussions, subconcussions or head injuries.

Among the findings in the report from forensic pathologist Dr. Stephen Cohle:

"A likely sequence of events on the night of death includes anxiety, disorientation, and paranoia from being alone in the woods when he was not met as expected after fishing.

"These emotions could have been exacerbated by an elevated oxycodone level combined with CTE. He became incapacitated, vomited, and inhaled the vomitus, which caused pneumonia," the report said.

"Although witnesses stated he had been drinking before he went fishing, his blood alcohol level was negligible and did not contribute to his incapacitation," the report said.

Finnerty apparently was taking oxycodone for a documented back injury he likely received during his football career, the report said.