Many professional football players have suffered from the degenerative brain disease CTE, which
has been linked to repeated head trauma.
In this video, we pay tribute to 22 American football stars whose brains were examined
after their deaths and diagnosed with CTE.
Pittsburgh Steeler Mike Webster was one of the greatest centers in NFL history, winning
four Super Bowls and selected nine times to the Pro Bowl.
He died September 24, 2002, of a heart attack at the age of 50.
After retiring, Webster suffered from dementia, and lived out of his pickup truck for years.
He was the first former player to be diagnosed with CTE.
Andre Waters was a hard-hitting defensive back for the Philadelphia Eagles who led the
team in tackles for four years.
He died by suicide November 20, 2006, at the age of 44.
Posthumously diagnosed with CTE, Waters was found to have brain tissue similar to a 90-year-old
person with Alzheimer’s disease.
Chris Henry caught over 100 passes in 5 seasons as a wide receiver with the Cincinnati Bengals.
He died December 17, 2009, from falling out of the back of a moving pickup truck at the
age of 26.
Henry had behaved erratically before his death, and was the first active NFL player to be
posthumously diagnosed with CTE.
Rob Lytle was a running back who played 7 seasons with the Denver Broncos, scoring the
team’s only touchdown in Super Bowl XII.
He died November 20, 2010, of a heart attack at the age of 56.
An autopsy of Lytle’s brain after he died revealed moderate to severe symptoms of CTE.
Mosi Tatupu was a fan favorite and special teams star playing for the New England Patriots.
He died February 23, 2010, of a heart attack at the age of 54.
Tatupu was posthumously diagnosed with CTE in 2014.
John Mackey was a Hall of Fame tight end for the Baltimore Colts helping the team win Super
Bowl V. Mackey died July 6, 2011, of complications
from dementia at an assisted living facility at the age of 69.
Mackey was found to have CTE after his death.
The NFL’s 88 Plan, named after his uniform number, provides financial assistance for
the care of former players who have dementia.
Dave Duerson was a four-time Pro Bowl safety for the Chicago Bears, and part of the legendary
“46” defense that led the Bears to their lone Super Bowl win in 1985.
He died February 17, 2011, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 50.
Duerson sent a heartbreaking last text to family members that said, “Please see that
my brain is given to the NFL’s brain bank.”
It was confirmed that he suffered from CTE.
Ollie Matson was a Hall of Fame running back who was elected to six Pro Bowls.
Before joining the NFL, he won two Olympic medals as a sprinter for the United States.
He died February 19, 2011, of dementia complications at the age of 80.
His nephew told the AP that Matson had not spoken a word in the 4 years before his death.
His dementia was believed to be linked to CTE.
Bubba Smith was a Super Bowl winning defensive end with the Baltimore Colts.
After retiring from football, he became an actor, best known for costarring in the “Police
Academy” movies.
He died August 3, 2011, of acute drug intoxication and heart disease at the age of 66.
Smith suffered from cognitive impairment, and after his death was diagnosed with Stage
3 CTE.
Cookie Gilchrist was a three-time All-Star fullback for the Buffalo Bills, leading them
to a win in the 1964 AFL championship.
He died January 10, 2011, at an assisted living facility at the age of 75.
His erratic behavior, which included a feud with the Bills, has been attributed to his
diagnosis of CTE.
Junior Seau was a Hall of Fame linebacker for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins,
and New England Patriots.
Fans called him the “Tasmanian Devil” for his frenzied play on the field.
He died May 2, 2012, of a self-inflicted gunshot at the age of 43.
An autopsy revealed Seau had CTE, and his family sued the NFL.
The case was settled under a confidential agreement.
Earl Morrall was a legendary backup quarterback who helped both the Baltimore Colts and Miami
Dolphins win the Super Bowl when their starting quarterbacks were hurt.
He died April 25, 2014, in Fort Lauderdale at the age of 79.
After his death, Morrall was diagnosed with Grade 4 CTE.
Adrian Robinson was a linebacker who played several seasons in the NFL and the CFL.
He died May 16, 2015, of suicide at the age of 25.
Robinson was diagnosed with CTE after his death.
Frank Gifford was a versatile star for the New York Giants, selected to the Pro Bowl
as a running back, flanker, and defensive back.
He became a popular announcer for ‘Monday Night Football.’
He died August 9, 2015, of natural causes at the age of 84.
He was married to TV personality Kathie Lee Gifford at the time of his death, and his
family announced that he suffered from CTE to bring awareness to the condition.
Tyler Sash was a safety for the New York Giants.
He died September 8, 2015, from an accidental mixture of drugs at the age of 27.
Sash was found to be suffering from Stage 2 CTE.
Ken Stabler was a legendary Hall of Fame quarterback for the Oakland Raiders known as “The Snake,”
who led them to a Super Bowl win.
He died July 8, 2015, of colon cancer at the age of 69.
Following his death, Stabler was diagnosed with Stage 3 CTE.
Fred McNeill spent 12 seasons playing linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring
from football and becoming a lawyer.
He died November 3, 2015, at the age of 63, from the degenerative brain disease ALS, also
known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
McNeill also suffered from dementia.
He was the first player to be diagnosed with CTE while living, which was done in an experimental
scan in 2012.
Kevin Turner was a fullback who played 8 seasons for the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England
Patriots.
He died March 24, 2016, from ALS, at the age of 46.
Doctors at the Boston University CTE Center found Turner had severe CTE, and that it was
a major factor in his developing ALS.
Aaron Hernandez played 3 seasons as a tight end for the New England Patriots and was considered
an up-and-coming star player until he was charged and convicted of the murder of Odin
Lloyd.
He died April 19, 2017, by suicide in his prison cell in Lancaster, Massachusetts, at
the age of 27.
After his death, Hernandez was diagnosed with CTE.
In 2020, Netflix released a documentary about his life and death.
Tommy Nobis, the hard-hitting Atlanta Falcons linebacker who fans called “Mr. Falcon,”
was the NFL rookie of the year in 1966 and a five-time Pro Bowl player.
He died December 13, 2017, from an extended illness at the age of 74.
In January 2019, the Boston University CTE Center confirmed that Nobis had the most severe
form of CTE.
Shane Dronett was a defensive end who played 10 years in the NFL for the Denver Broncos,
Detroit Lions, and Atlanta Falcons.
He died January 21, 2019, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the age of 38.
Dronett’s family said his behavior changed following his retirement, becoming paranoid
and angry.
After his death, he was diagnosed with CTE by the Boston University CTE Center.
Vincent Jackson was a 3-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who played for the San Diego Chargers
and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
He died February 15, 2021, from chronic alcohol use at the age of 38.
Jackson’s family donated his brain to the Boston University CTE Center, where they confirmed
he had been suffering from Stage 2 CTE.
You can read more about the lives of the people featured in this video on Legacy.com.
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