Ohio State coach defends medical staff after player's death

(Reuters) - Ohio State's head football coach defended the team's medical staff on Monday, a day after a player was found dead from an apparent suicide his family said could be linked to his sports-related concussions. Kosta Karageorge, 22, a non-scholarship reserve player in his first year on the team after three years as a wrestler at Ohio State, was found dead on Sunday in Columbus, Ohio, from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. "I can say this, this is the best group of medical people I've ever been around, the way they handle their business and the attention to detail," coach Urban Meyer told reporters. Meyer, 50, has been a head college football coach for 13 years. Karageorge's mother, Susan, told police that her son had suffered several concussions and had been very confused at times. His sister, Sophia, told local media that her brother had suffered a concussion a month ago. A native of Worthington, Ohio, Karageorge played one game this year for the Buckeyes, one of the country's most successful and popular college teams. The team finished 11-1 in the regular season and will play in the Big Ten Conference championship game on Saturday. Karageorge's death has raised questions on whether physicians and athletic trainers properly treated the player and if they had noticed any lingering effects of head trauma. The sport is grappling with how to prevent head trauma during play and its long-term effects on players. A number of retired professional football players have committed suicide after suffering from the cognitive effects of concussions. Neither the National Collegiate Athletic Association nor the Big Ten Conference immediately responded to messages seeking comment. The Big Ten said in a statement on Monday that it "sends its thoughts" to Karageorge's family. (Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Mary Milliken and Mohammad Zargham)