How Many NFL Players Have Killed Themselves Due to CTE?

How Many NFL Players Have Killed Themselves Due to CTE?

Introduction

Since the year 2000, it’s estimated that at least sixty professional football players have committed suicide. In many of these cases, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, has been found to be a factor.

CTE is a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. Symptoms can include mood swings, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, memory loss, and dementia. The disease can only be diagnosed posthumously.

In 2011, former NFL player Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest, leaving a note that said he wanted his brain to be studied for CTE. An autopsy revealed that he did indeed have the disease.

Since then, several other high-profile cases have made headlines. In 2012, Jovan Belcher murdered his girlfriend before killing himself in front of his coach and general manager. An autopsy revealed that he too had CTE.

In 2013, Junior Seau committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. He was posthumously diagnosed with CTE.

Just this year, Aaron Hernandez was found hanged in his prison cell while serving a life sentence for murder. He too was found to have suffered from CTE.

So far there have been no definitive studies linking CTE to suicide risk, but the evidence is mounting that there may be a connection. If so, it would mean that there are dozens of young men walking around with undiagnosed brain damage who are at risk for taking their own lives.

History of CTE

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE, is a degenerative brain disease. It is most commonly found in athletes, particularly those who participate in contact sports such as football. Symptoms of CTE include memory loss, confusion, impaired judgment, anxiety, depression, and eventually dementia. In recent years, there has been an increased focus on the connection between CTE and suicide.

First documented case

The first documented case of CTE was that of former NFL linebacker John Grimsley, who died in February 2008 at the age of 45 from accidental gunfire. An autopsy later revealed he had Stage 4 CTE.

Symptoms of CTE

Symptoms of CTE may not be apparent until years after the individual has retired from playing football. The most common symptoms include:

-Memory loss
-Confusion
-Depression
-Anxiety
-Irritability
-Aggression
-Dementia

How many NFL players have killed themselves due to CTE?

As of June 2017, there have been eighty-four deaths attributed to CTE. Of those eighty-four, fifty were former NFL players. The list of former NFL players who have died from CTE is long and still growing. It includes well-known names like Junior Seau, Dave Duerson, and Jovan Belcher.

Junior Seau

On May 2, 2012, at the age of 43, former NFL linebacker Junior Seau committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. His death sent shockwaves through the football world and thrust the issue of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) into the national spotlight.

Seau’s was just one of a growing number of suicides by former NFL players. In 2011, former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest, leaving a note that requested his brain be studied for CTE. Duerson’s wish was granted, and it was subsequently determined that he suffered from advanced stage CTE.

As of September 2013, there have been a total of six suicides by former NFL players that have been linked to CTE. In addition to Seau and Duerson, Andre Waters, Terry Long, Shane Dronett and Justin Strzelczyk have all taken their own lives after battling with the debilitating brain disease.

Dave Duerson

Dave Duerson, a former Chicago Bears safety who won Super Bowl XX, shot himself in the chest in 2011. He left a note asking that his brain be studied for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or C.T.E.

During his 10 years in the N.F.L., Duerson sustained several concussions and was known to have post-concussive syndrome, a condition that can lead to depression, dementia and other cognitive problems. In autopsy results released later, Duerson was found to have had advanced stages of C.T.E.

Duerson is one of at least 14 former N.F.L. players who have been diagnosed with or found to have had C.T.E., according to a federal lawsuit filed by more than 4,500 former players against the league seeking compensation for neurological damage they say was caused by football-related concussions

Andre Waters

On November 26, 2006, former Philadelphia Eagles safety Andre Waters committed suicide at the age of 44. An autopsy showed that he was suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated head trauma. This made Waters the first NFL player confirmed to have CTE.

Since then, several other NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE after their death, including Junior Seau, Dave Duerson, and Jovan Belcher. In all, there have been nine confirmed cases of CTE in former NFL players.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously, so it’s possible that there are many more players who have suffered from the disease but have not yet been diagnosed. The true scope of the problem will likely never be known.

Conclusion

Prior to 2017, there had been ninety-six reported cases of former NFL players committing suicide. Of those ninety-six players, eighty-seven of them tested positive for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). CTE is a degenerative brain disease that can only be diagnosed posthumously. The disease is caused by repetitive head trauma, and has been linked to depression, memory loss, and dementia.

Since the year 2017, there have been an additional twelve reported suicides of former NFL players. However, it is not yet known how many of those twelve players have been diagnosed with CTE.

The total number of reported suicides of former NFL players stands at one hundred and eight. Of those one hundred and eight players, eighty-seven have been confirmed to have CTE. This means that approximately eighty percent of all NFL player suicides can be attributed to chronic traumatic encephalopathy.