State Sen. Aaron Rouse: Totally Disabled Or A Prevaricator?

One of two things is true about State Sen. Aaron Rouse of Virginia Beach.

He’s either badly disabled and unable to work due to concussions and other injuries sustained during his three seasons as an NFL safety.

Or he’s a prevaricator.

Take your pick.

Either one casts doubts on his fitness to serve.

I’ve met Aaron Rouse. In fact,I interviewed and endorsed him for Virginia Beach City Council when he ran against the good ole boy Beach cronies back in 2018. He seemed fine to me. Charming, as a matter of fact.

He’s now in the General Assembly and last spring he lost in a crowded Democrat primary for lieutenant governor to Ghazala Hashmi. Clearly, Rouse has his eyes on the Governor’s Mansion. Every aspiring lieutenant governor does.

At the same time that this ambitious politician is serving in the state senate and planning a future in politics he’s suing the NFL for its most generous disability benefits, claiming he suffers from complete and total permanent disability due to injuries he sustained playing football for the Green Bay Packers and the Giants.

The Virginian-Pilot found this, in his complaint:

“The medical evidence from treating physicians, including Dr. Felix Kirven, Dr. Scott Sautter, and Dr. Alan Wagner, supported Rouse’s claim that he is totally and permanently disabled due to the cumulative effects of multiple concussions and other injuries sustained during his NFL career.”

Wait. What?

As best I can tell, total disability benefits for NFL players range from $60,000 to $250,000 a year. Rouse played three seasons, so he may be on the lower end of the scale.

According to The Richmond Times-Dispatch, this isn’t the first time Rouse has sought cash from the league.

“Rouse tried twice to win disability benefits from the NFL’s Disability Board. The board hears cases and determines whether a former player was severely impaired because of injuries sustained playing football. Rouse applied for the most lucrative disability category, which requires a player to prove total and permanent disability. The benefit category is reserved for players who are unable to work, according to documents from the NFL Player Benefits Disability Plan.”

Rouse’s claims of total disability were so outlandish that in a highly unusual move, one of his doctors emailed the Richmond newspaper to set the record straight.

“Dr. Scott Sautter, a neuropsychologist in Hampton Roads, was one of three specialists whose testimony was included in Rouse’s most recent effort to win benefits – a federal complaint that came after unsuccessful attempts to convince the NFL and that alleges the NFL’s board unjustly denied his petition.”

“After reading The Times-Dispatch's report about Rouse’s federal lawsuit, Sautter wrote in an email to the RTD that Rouse’s lawyer overstated Sautter's conclusions.”

“My diagnosis was mild cognitive impairment with additional concerns regarding headaches, mood and sleep, but not to the level of being ‘totally and permanently disabled,'” said Sautter. “I understand that this is the attorney’s opinion, but I am writing to (The Times-Dispatch) to say that this is a mischaracterization of my opinion.”

If the definition of total disability is the inability to work, Rouse doesn’t seem to fit that description. Either that, or he isn’t working in Richmond, just occupying a seat and collecting a paycheck. Like Joe Biden in the White House.

At the risk of sounding hopelessly naive, Virginians have a right to expect basic honesty from those who represent them in Richmond.

What are the chances we’re getting that from Senator Rouse?