Study: CTE Found In Nearly All Donated NFL Player Brains

[sbenkoski]

As the country starts to get back into its most popular professional team sport, there is a reminder of how dangerous football can be.

An updated study published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association on football players and the degenerative brain disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy reveals a striking result among NFL players.

The study examined the brains of deceased former football players (CTE can only be diagnosed after death) and found that 110 out of 111 brains of those who played in the NFL had CTE.

CTE has been linked to repeated blows to the head — the 2015 movie Concussion chronicled the discovery of CTE's connection to football.

[pmagalei]

That is good to know. Good thing my dad didn't want me to play football from young age. I do have the ability but obedience to me is more important. What about other contact sports like boxing for example?

[rghvac69]

When I played high school football we were taught to lead with our forearms and shoulders when blocking and tackling. Now the players lead with the crown of their helmets, especially when blocking. I think that is part of the problem. 

[Iamag27]

It boggles my mind how the NFL still DENIES that football leads to brain injuries/degenerative diseases. I understand why they do it (money reasons) but you think they would be able to put the safety of their employees as the utmost importance. It will be interesting to me to see how much longer (American) football will be a sport. I give it 20-30 before it dies. I just think a barbaric sport like this where the object is literally to hurt the other person wont be around for much longer. Parents will stop letting their kids play and eventually no one will play.

[betlynjua]

When I played high school football we were taught to lead with our forearms and shoulders when blocking and tackling. Now the players lead with the crown of their helmets, especially when blocking. I think that is part of the problem. 

Even though that may be a part of the problem, it's the jarring of the head that is the biggest issue.  A player may not hit his head at all but all of the contact, no  matter where the contact is made has been know to contribute to the problem.

About a month ago, I was talking with my brother and sister-in-law about a race car driver who blew a tire on a quarter mile track.  The vibration going on in the car was so intense that it caused a head injury that killed the driver. 

Athletes today are bigger ( either naturally or synthetically ), meaner and they hit harder.  This is a bad combination.

[betlynjua]

That is good to know. Good thing my dad didn't want me to play football from young age. I do have the ability but obedience to me is more important. What about other contact sports like boxing for example?

Whether it's football, hockey, boxing or any other activity that involves whipping the head and neck in ways they were never intended to whip, injuries are bound to happen. 

As long as spectators continue to show support, the show will continue to go on. I'm fairly certain that all of the excitement and drama will continue as well.   

[clickers]

You know it's sad to see players are not taking heed to this information. Money is the driving force behind the League not facing and adhering to the dangers in this sport.
Think of it this way: when we go the beach; if there's no Lifeguard on duty we swim at our own risk. Because the drownings and other safety risks are not widespread we continue to go swimming unattended.
In order for the football to change anything pertaining to this finding; there would need to be larger amounts of players showing signs of the disease, risks, etc.
It would be very difficult to stop the sport all together. The same way it would strange to see the beaches closed because people can potentially be harmed while swimming.
I am not condoning the players playing with such a risk factor.

[gaylasue]

I was just reading that article on the internet.  You just know that all of that rough hitting has to cause damage to their bodies!

[MichelleHW101]

That is not surprising.  Football is a contact sport and it is led with blocks or tackles with or to the head.  What is surprising is the NFL's denial there is a real problem.  Perhaps a change in the helm.  It may be that simple.  Perhaps more padding inside it to protect the head the way a car airbag deploys upon a crash.  The NFL could have at least started there.  I'm sure if there is no money for something like this real players would be willing to take a pay cut if they knew that money was going to fund products to increase their safety on the field. 

[lmrbean]

I saw the movie Concussion - it was very well done and very informative on the subject of CTE in football. Amazing how it took so long to be acknowledged and still not much is done about it.

[ktheodos]

I saw the movie Concussion - it was very well done and very informative on the subject of CTE in football. Amazing how it took so long to be acknowledged and still not much is done about it.

Same here! Glad to see the research is "official" - telling us what we have been told for years

[sak4kat]

We have this"official" information and yet the game goes on.  No different than we know the risks of tobacco yet people still smoke etc.. My son was never interested in playing football.  I don't think he's ever sat down and watched a game on his own for that matter.  So this was one thing I didn't have to worry about with him.  However a friend of mine had a daughter.  She was in my sons class.  She played on the boys baseball, tackle football team.. was really big into skateboarding.  She couldn't finish public high schools from the headaches she was constantly having... all contributed to the man concussions she had as a child. Kudo's to this young gal...she home-schooled and received her GED.

[UGetPaid]

The players know going in that these problems are a definite long term possibility (much like one poster said earlier that people who start smoking know that there are potential health risks down the road).  But the money and fame and notoriety are too strong of a draw to worry about what seems like a lifetime away - but is really much closer than most 22 years olds perceive.  The sad truth is that many would still choose to sacrifice their long term health for the instant glory, fame, and financial success.


That's not to say that the league bears no responsibility for it.  They are absolutely obligated to do everything in their power to increase player safety and develop new safer equipment.  But the size and speed of players is far outpacing the advances in safety technology.


I have always loved professional football and would be very sad to see it go away.  I think the fanbase and mega-money are far too large for professional football to go away completely.  But I think we will probably see a much different game 20 years from now with rule changes and so forth.  I wonder if it will even be recognizable as the same game...

[jkhanson]

I work with men who have traumatic brain injuries. 
The injuries were from a sudden accident rather than multiple contact injuries through a sport or such.
However, these men's lives are forever changed because of the injury to their brain.

I am glad my son did not play football.

[bshee58]

I have a nephew who wanted to play, but my niece advised against him playing, he has medical issues with breathing, to say the least he was not happy.