"The NFL know it" - Dez Bryant calls out league officials over CTE problems that plagued Demaryius Thomas
Former Dallas Cowboys star Dez Bryant has called out NFL officials over the now-reported CTE problems that hampered former Denver receiver Demaryius Thomas.
Thomas tragically passed away back in December of 2021 and, as per Ken Belson, doctors have said that Thomas had Stage 2 CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) when he died.
Bryant took to his Instagram account and called out NFL officials by stating that they know there are a lot of players living with CTE and that some of them are too scared to speak.
"DT88 my heart weak bro… it’s a lot of us living with CTE and the NFL know it…most importantly the Athletes who have those symptoms are scared to speak… 1 thing about me ain’t living no false life…my love and support for athletes are on a much deeper level than most…"
Thomas passed away in 2021 and Benjamin Albright posted via his Twitter account that Thomas passed away due to a seizure, suspected to be from a medical complication following a car accident in 2019.
I wanted to be sensitive about how DT passed away is he passed away, as family members and friends had not yet been notified.
But it seems some of that info is out there now, DT passed away due to a seizure. Suspected to be a medical complication from his car wreck in 2019.
On top of that, according to nbcnews.com and the Concussion Legacy Foundation, the receiver was suffering from several ailments, including trouble with his memory, panic attacks, and depression.
The receiver was only 33 when he passed away and finished up his stellar career in 2019 after several superb seasons with the Broncos, Houston, and the New York Jets.
Demaryius Thomas death a wake up call for the NFL
The unfortunate death of Demaryius Thomas shook everyone to the core. What this latest news does is highlight the importance of player safety in the game.
The league has moved over the years to protect players and offer serious penalties for head-high hits and has just about banned them.
Given that the NFL is a high collision sport, the league has tried to limit the amount of hits to the head. That's because of all the studies done on CTE and the brains of former NFL players.
A study back in 2017 from the Boston University School of Medicine showed that out of 202 former deceased NFL players, all showed signs of CTE but one, making it 99% of players having the disease.
They are freightening numbers and show that there is still a long way to go in protecting players from this horrible disease. Unfortunately, the only way for a player to be diagnosed is via an autopsy.
This is for sure though, Dez Bryant did not hold back and it is hoped that the NFL will further implement strategies to help limit the amount of hits to the head for players.