Former NFL Players Who Suffered From CTE

about 3 years ago

Congratulations to the Rams, Super Bowl LVI champs! Now that the glamorous side of the NFL is done and dusted, let me kill the mood. There is an unfortunate side to the NFL, and sports in general. CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) in the NFL is a touchy and uncomfortable subject.

I think there is more concern over head injuries than the state of rugby right now as this is the next big thing to rock the sport.

Funny enough @cryptoandcoffee and I where chatting about rugby in my post about the exploitation of Pacific Islanders in rugby and he made a comment about the concerns over head injuries while I was in the process of drafting this post.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease which is associated with repeated blows to the head and can only be officially diagnosed after death. Side effects include aggression, poor judgement, lack of impulse control, paranoia, rage and anger and it's let to some shocking incidents from NFL players.

There is no cure for CTE and prevention is the current approach which has led to a myriad of rule changes and the introduction of protocols across the NFL and other sports leagues around the worlds. A study was done on an offensive lineman who was involved in 62 hits in a game. Of those hits, 10 were calculated at the equivalent of a 30-mile (48 km) car crash into a wall.

Let's take a look at the unfortunate side of the NFL, former players who have suffered from CTE.

Aaron Hernandez

Aaron Hernandez was a tight end for the New England Patriots. In just three seasons with the Patriots, he scored 18 touchdowns including a Super Bowl XLVI score and he formed a formidable partnership with fellow tight end Rob Gronkowski. Unbelievably, Hernandez was found guilty of first-degree murder in 2015 and sentenced to life in prison. He was acquitted of a separate double homicide

Hernandez was reportedly of the belief that the FBI were after him and he slept with multiple weapons by his bedside. He also had a sophisticated CCTV system installed in his house and was known to have used large quantities of drugs. Hernandez was found to have had CTE which may explain some of his radical behaviour.

Aaron Hernandez was found guilty of murdering Odin Lloyd, a friend who was dating his fiancees sister. .
Source: Photo by Jeffrey Beall shared under Creative Commons (CC) license.

Justin Strzelczyk

Former Steelers' offensive tackle Justin Strzelczyk played nine seasons in the NFL. He too was portrayed in the movie Concussion and was depicted having confided with Webster about experiencing memory loss and domestic issues he was having with his children and wife. At the age of 36 Strzelczyk died in a car crash after a 40-mile (64 km) police chase.

He drove against oncoming traffic and hit a truck at 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). Strzelczyk's brain was also assessed by Dr. Omalu who confirmed he had suffered from CTE. Dr. Omalu fought against efforts by the NFL to suppress his brain research and the damage done by repeated hits to the head.

Jovan Belcher

Linebacker Jovan Belcher played four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and made a total of 256 tackles. In late 2012 Belcher was living with his girlfriend, the pair reportedly arguing frequently. After a night out with a different women, he had an argument with his girlfriend and shot her dead infront of her mother.

Belcher then drove to the Chiefs practice facility where he shot himself infront of Kansas City teammates and coaches in the parking lot. A medical examiner later determined that Belcher had suffered from CTE.

Jerry Seau

Jerry Seau was a 12-time Pro Bowler and his number 55 has been retired by the LA Chargers. The linebacker was known for his explosiveness and his passion especially on big plays. He was a great tackler and made 1,849 tackles during his career. He was involved in a domestic violence incident that resulted in him getting arrested and it was reported that he suffered insomnia following his playing career.

In 2012 Seau shot himself and he unfortunately died. It was later found that his brain had definite signs of CTE. Seau was posthumously elected to the Hall of Fame, the first Polynesian and Samoan player ever to be and will be remembered.

Jerry Seau shot himself in the chest in 2012.
Source: Photo by JJ Hall shared under Creative Commons (CC) license.

John Mackey

Considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history, John Mackey won Super Bowl V with the Baltimore Colts and he was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1992. Mackey revolutionized the tight end position with 38 touchdowns in his career, and an astonishing 15.8 yards per reception.

After his playing career he became the first president of the NFLPA but began to suffer from symptoms of dementia. At 65 years old he was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and in 2011, lost his battle with dementia at the age of 69. A study on his brain revealed that he died from CTE.

...Unfortunately there are more horror high profile cases of CTE in former NFL players. I'll be back tomorrow with another list of players who suffered the unfortunate fate.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!

Wolfgang Sport started in 2017 as a way to connect my passion for American and British sports. Today it's evolved into a blockchain sports blog pushing the boundaries into the crypto world and embracing Web3 technologies.

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