5 NFL players who were diagnosed with CTE after dying at a young age
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) has long been an issue in the NFL, as well as other contact sports. CTE is defined as a neurodegenerative disease of the brain that occurs as a result of repeated head trauma. Football's highly physical and violent nature is what makes CTE a problem among NFL players.
Symptoms include behavioral and cognitive issues, difficulty with basic thought processes, and severe mood swings paired with irrationally aggressive responses. These symptoms may get progressively worse over time and eventually lead to dementia and other complications.
One of the challenges the NFL faces when dealing with CTE is that there is no definitive way of diagnosing it during a playing career. It is often left untreated and can sometimes factor into a player's death at a young age.
Here are five players who tragically passed away at a young age and were later found to have CTE.
#1 Junior Seau
Junior Seau spent the majority of his NFL career as a linebacker with the San Diego Chargers before moving to the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. He was selected to nine All-Pro teams and 12 Pro Bowls on his way to the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Seau was found dead in his home with a gunshot wound to the chest in May 2012 at just 43 years old. Though he left no note, the death was suspected to be a suicide. About a year later, it was revealed that Seau showed definite signs of CTE after his brain was examined by the National Institutes of Health.
#2 Jovan Belcher
Jovan Belcher was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent following the 2009 NFL Draft. He remained with the team as a starting linebacker for four seasons before his tragic death.
Surreal scene at Jovan Belcher's childhood home: http://t.co/sXUV2HRs
Belcher murdered his girlfriend Kasandra Perkins before driving to the Chiefs' practice facility, where he shot himself in the head. Belcher was just 25 years old at the time while Perkins was only 22 years old. Following an autopsy, Belcher was diagnosed with CTE.