Rasul “Rocky” Clark was a starting running back for Eisenhower High School when he suffered two broken vertebrae in his neck and a spinal cord injury that left him paralyzed from the neck down in September 2000.

For 10 years, from the time of the injury until August 2010, Clark’s family had relied on the insurance policy that Eisenhower High School had for all its students. The insurance money allowed Clark to have round-the-clock nurses in his home and access to pain medication, prescription drugs and medical supplies. In August 2010, the family received notice that the $5 million insurance policy under which Clark was covered had reached its lifetime maximum.

Clark’s story inspired the catastrophic insurance legislation that Illinois Governor Pat Quinn signed into law in early August.

The law requires that schools – both private and public – have catastrophic injury insurance up to $3 million to cover school-related injuries. The policies cover expenses for five years after the families pay the first $50,000 in expenses. The insurance must be purchased by January 1, 2014, and can cost no more than $5 per student.

In an official statement from the Governor’s office, Quinn said, “Rocky Clark was a fighter, and this new law – Rocky’s Law – is a tribute to him and all the years he fought to protect young athletes across our state. Rocky is an inspiration to us all and he wanted to ensure other students are educated about playing it safe on the field. I am honored to sign this bill, which should provide more comfort to sports families across Illinois.”