Abby Wambach cuts ties with Brett Favre-backed venture that received Mississippi welfare funds

Scooby Axson, USA TODAY
·2 min read

Former U.S. women’s national team soccer star Abby Wambach says she is cutting ties with a venture that is linked to Pro Football Hall of Famer Brett Favre, in which he is accused of misusing welfare funds in Mississippi.

Wambach was involved with Odyssey Health Inc, based in Las Vegas, and Prevacus, which says it is a "drug development company working on the prevention and treatment of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) or concussion."

Both companies are working on a nasal spray to treat concussions, called PRV-002, which has not gotten approval from the Food and Drug Administration.

Wambach said to NBC News that she was starting "the process to immediately and fully divest myself from any involvement — financial and otherwise.”

Former USWNT player Abby Wambach attends the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Festival at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2022.
Former USWNT player Abby Wambach attends the Bud Light Super Bowl Music Festival at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles on Feb. 12, 2022.

“Since I genuinely believed this company was being transparent about a product that could spare the next generation of athletes from the severe impact of concussion injuries that I endured as a professional athlete, I am profoundly angry, disappointed, and saddened by what I learned today,” Wambach said in a statement. “Notwithstanding these jarring developments, I will stay true to my mission of securing better, more equitable treatment of our athletes in every area of sport.”

Wambach had been involved with Prevacus since 2018, first as an investor and then serving on Prevacus' Sports Advisory Board.Other sports figures on the board include Pro Football Hall of Famer Kurt Warner and former Super Bowl MVP Mark Rypien, Chicago Cubs manager David Ross, and former NFL coach Steve Mariucci.

Prevacus and Favre have been in the middle of how welfare funds have been spent in Mississippi, one of the country's poorest states.

The state sued Prevacus and CEO Jake VanLandingham in May wanting $2.1 million returned after the company got federal welfare funds.

Favre, is named as Prevacus biggest outside investor and has been involved with Odyssey since at least February. He met with VanLandingham, and John Davis, then of the state’s welfare agency in January 2019.

Davis plead guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of fraud against the government.

Favre has not been charged with a crime, but text messages from him and former Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant confirmed Favre knew where the money came from as he sought to build a volleyball arena at the University of Southern Mississippi, where his daughter formerly played.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Abby Wambach cuts ties with Brett Favre-backed venture

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