Ryan Kennedy, a Michigan resident and self-described Detroit Lions fan, is taking legal action following a December altercation with Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver DK Metcalf at Ford Field.

Kennedy and his legal team held a news conference in Farmington Hills, Michigan, on Dec. 26. On Tuesday, attorneys representing Kennedy announced that a lawsuit had been filed in Wayne County Court. The lawsuit seeks $100 million in damages stemming from the Dec. 21 incident and names DK Metcalf, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Ford Field, the Lions’ longtime home stadium.

Former NFL player Chad Johnson, Ford Field management and multiple media platforms were also listed in the lawsuit, alleging that they played a role in making “defamatory and life-altering statements” against Kennedy in the aftermath of the incident.

The filing outlines nine counts, including negligence against Ford Field and multiple defamation claims against Metcalf, Johnson and former NFL tight end Shannon Sharpe’s Shay Shay Media.

During the first half of the Lions–Steelers game on Dec. 21, Metcalf appeared to take a swing at Kennedy, who was seated in the Ford Field stands. The NFL later disciplined Metcalf with a two-game suspension to close the regular season.

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On an episode of Shay Shay Media’s “Nightcap” podcast released the day after the incident, co-host Chad Johnson said Metcalf told him Kennedy directed a racial slur at the Steelers receiver and used a derogatory term toward Metcalf’s mother.

Kennedy denied using any slurs at a December press conference, a claim reiterated in the lawsuit.

“The statements were false and reckless,” the lawsuit states. “Plaintiff Kennedy did not call Defendant Metcalf the ‘N-word’; did not call Defendant Metcalf’s mother a ‘c—‘; and did not ever use any racial slurs or hate speech whatsoever … Defendant Metcalf provided false information to Defendant Johnson about what Plaintiff Kennedy allegedly said, thereby instigating and authorizing the publication of the defamatory and reckless statements, which were intended to harm Plaintiff Kennedy.”

Kennedy is also taking legal action against the Steelers for the team’s alleged liability in the incident, while Metcalf is accused of committing assault and battery in the lawsuit. The claims against Ford Field management are also based on liability.

“Defendant Ford Field Management, LLC breached its duty by failing to establish or enforce adequate barriers, protocols, or security measures to prevent players from reaching into the stands and making physical contact with patrons,” the lawsuit reads.

Fox News Digital contacted the Lions requesting comment, but did not immediately receive a response.

Metcalf recorded 850 receiving yards in his first season with the Steelers.

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After USC leading scorer Chad Baker-Mazara went down early in the second half with what appeared to be a knee injury, freshman Alijah Arenas knew what he needed to do. When Trojan starters Ezra Ausar and Jacob Cofie fouled out late in the second half, nothing changed.

USC’s game against Indiana (15-8, 6-6 Big Ten) Tuesday night at the Galen Center was close early. Arenas, who had struggled with efficiency since debuting for the Trojans in mid-January, started four of 14 from the field and one of six on three-point attempts.

During the ensuing 19 minutes, Arenas showed why he was a five-star recruit, delivering a team-high 29 points and helping the Trojans (17-6, 6-6) hang on for a 81-75 win over the Hoosiers. It was Arenas’ first double-digit scoring game of his college career.

“I made a conscious effort, against Northwestern, to start him and not bring him along slowly. I don’t regret that at all,” coach Eric Musselman said. “29 points in your fifth game in college when you haven’t played any nonconference games is pretty damn impressive.”

Musselman was especially complimentary of Arenas’ ability to get to the free-throw line — Arenas made eight of nine shots from the charity stripe and drew nine fouls, while committing none.

“We’ve started to see that [getting to the free-throw line] leads to wins,” Arenas said. “So I try the best I can to get to the line and knock them all down.”

Though Arenas’ performance was enough to hold back a late Hoosiers push, led by guard Lamar Wilkerson who scored a game-high 33 points, the Trojans lost one of their top scorers for an unknown amount of time.

After leaving the game, Baker-Mazara returned to the Trojans’ bench with ice on his knee and crutches.

Musselman said he thought Baker-Mazara likely suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament, but he won’t know for sure until the team receives MRI exam results.

USC is already without Rodney Rice, who was averaging over 20 points before sustaining a season-ending injury. Defensive specialist Amarion Dickerson is working to return from an injury. Other role players, including Jerry Easter II and Jordan Marsh, have also missed time recently.

With Baker-Mazara out with injury and Ausar and Cofie fouling out, Musselman was forced to turn to role players who had played minimal or no time earlier in the game to close out, including Marsh and Ryan Cornish.

“I’m about as proud as I can be, to think that Chad wouldn’t play the second half and those other two guys foul out and then we still found a way to win,” Musselman said. “This was a huge game. I told the team, ‘This game is not worth one game.’”

USC forward Chad Baker-Mazara goes up for a dunk in front of Indiana forward Sam Alexis Tuesday at the Galen Center. Baker-Mazara injured his knee later in the game.

(Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)

Entering the contest, the Hoosiers were hot after racking up three consecutive wins, including two in Quad 1, and were known for shooting three pointers at one of the highest rates in the country. The injury-riddled Trojans were on the NCAA tournament bubble and in need of a big home win.

While Indiana took more three-point shots, attempting 35 and making 10, a pair of second-half three-pointers from Arenas and guard Kam Woods gave USC the advantage in combined three-point shooting percentage, a key part of the win. The Trojans shot 35.3% from beyond the arc compared to Indiana’s 28.6% clip.

“We felt if they shot 29% or below from 3, we would win the game,” Musselman said. “I give them credit with their off-ball action. They’re really, really good setting flares and pin-ins.”

The Trojans also dominated on the boards, nabbing 38 rebounds, 11 offensive, as a team compared to Indiana’s 24 and seven. Center Gabe Dynes led the way for USC defensively, with seven boards to go along with three blocks off the bench.

An 18-point game from Woods and an Ausar’s 12 points, seven rebounds and four assists were also key as USC worked to offset Baker-Mazara’s absence on the offensive end.

Woods, who joined USC midway through the season from Robert Morris University, has quickly developed into a key player and leader for the Trojans. He played all but 26 seconds of Tuesday’s game, adding six rebounds and five fouls drawn to his strong point total.

“I don’t know where our season would be if we hadn’t picked up Kam when we did,” Musselman said. “Kam knows what I want. I don’t know how, because I haven’t had a lot of individual meetings with him, but he’s on the same wavelength with me.”

Next up for USC is a road trip to the Midwest, where it will face off against Penn State (10-12, 1-10) on Sunday at 9 a.m. PST before heading to Columbus, Ohio, to take on Ohio State (14-7, 6-5).

There is some concern for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye heading into Super Bowl LX, but the second-year signal caller isn’t worried about his injury designation.

Maye came into the week in Santa Clara with a shoulder ailment, though he and his coaching staff downplayed the severity of it before the big game.

“I feel good. I’ll be just fine,” Maye said on Super Bowl opening night, via NFL.com. “I threw a good bit. I threw as much as I would at a normal practice. I felt great and looking forward to getting back out there Wednesday and Thursday for practice and Friday to get ready for a normal week of prep.”

Maye was officially listed as questionable on the Patriots’ bye week before heading out west. He also dealt with an illness. But he said he has “turned a corner” since landing in San Francisco on Sunday.

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“I felt good from the flight and throwing out there today. I think it turned the corner, and I really had no doubt being 100% for the game, this is the Super Bowl,” he said. “We get two weeks to prepare for it and do whatever we got to do to get it right. I’ve got confidence and feel good.”

There’s no doubt Maye, an MVP candidate this year, is going to be doing everything possible to be 100% for Sunday’s matchup at Levi’s Stadium.

Maye heads into this contest as the potential youngest starting quarterback to ever win the Super Bowl. Dan Marino is the youngest quarterback to play in the game all-time, beating out Maye by 49 days, but he was unable to win in 1984.

Head coach Mike Vrabel trusts his second-year quarterback to get the job done despite some struggles at times in these playoffs.

Vrabel said that he liked how the ball was coming out of Maye’s hand during practices to this point.

“I thought that the ball came out good. I thought it was a crisp practice for Drake and for everybody else,” he said.

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