Aaron Hernandez had severe CTE

[mbcdefg]

Suicide triggers

mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/21/sports/aaron-hernandez-cte-brain.html?_r=0&referer=https://t.co/207bVutWwf?amp=1

Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots tight end who committed suicide in April while serving a life sentence for murder, was found to have a severe form of C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head trauma that has been found in more than 100 former N.F.L. players.

Researchers who examined the brain determined it was “the most severe case they had ever seen in someone of Aaron’s age,” said a lawyer for Hernandez in announcing the result at a news conference on Thursday. Hernandez was 27.

C.T.E., or chronic traumatic encephalopathy, can be diagnosed only posthumously. Hernandez is the latest former N.F.L. player to have committed suicide and then been found to have C.T.E., joining Dave Duerson, Junior Seau, Andre Waters, Ray Easterling and Jovan Belcher, among others. Seau and Duerson shot themselves in the chest, apparently so that researchers would be able to examine their brain. Hernandez was found hanging in his prison cell.

Seau, Duerson and Waters were all older than 40, while Hernandez is one of the youngest former N.F.L. players to have been found with the disease. In July, researchers at Boston University released findings that showed that they had found C.T.E. in the brains of 110 of the 111 former N.F.L. players they had examined.

[vicky]

Jeez.

[tessalb]

As much as it bothers me to see his name in the news because I can't help but think of Odin Lloyd's family, I do think it's important that this is out and we discuss it (society we). He did not play professionally for very long, so for him to have severe CTE at his age, it's something the NFL needs to act on.

[bowies]

I wonder if it started even prior to adulthood considering how young he was and how severe it was. He had incidents while a player at the Univ. of Florida that served as a precursor to the murder of Odin Lloyd. I don't want to blame his actions on the CTE but yet it had to be a mitigating factor.

[ECB]

Sept 21, 2017 17:54:22 GMT -5 bowies said:

I wonder if it started even prior to adulthood considering how young he was and how severe it was. He had incidents while a player at the Univ. of Florida that served as a precursor to the murder of Odin Lloyd. I don't want to blame his actions on the CTE but yet it had to be a mitigating factor.

i just saw a news story today that talks about how damage starts early. It's not just big hits - it's all the hits that players get during practice and in games.

The story specifically talks about kids who start before age 12 and the behavior issues that they exhibit just a few years later.

[compassrose]

I've shared this before, but our neighbors were a former NFL player and his family. His family is still there, but his wife had to kick him out because he was becoming dangerously violent. Pre-NFL she says he was not a violent man at all, but CTE affected his brain so much that his doctor said he had the impulse control of a 3 year old. Damn scary in a >200 lb man who starting beating his wife. But I believe her that he used to be a good man. It's terrifying how much it can alter your personality.

[DotAndBuzz]

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

[curbsideprophet]

I think it definitely starts before the NFL. Not sure there is much motivation to really change as long as kids are still playing and fans are still watching.

Are there suggestions on things that can be done to reduce the risk of this (other than not play football)?

[fryjack2]

I saw the study that came out do BU yesterday. The depression rates noted in former football players was also significant.

[fryjack2]

Sept 21, 2017 18:35:31 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

Hand I are as well.

I don't think football will be gone in 25 years. I encounter families all the time who think these studies are bull. One father snickered and actually said, "you really aren't going to let your boys play football or hockey? So, just girly sports are allowed in your house?"

Football is such a huge part of some parts of America that it will take a lot longer for it to be obsolete.

[anlo]

Sept 21, 2017 18:40:42 GMT -5 connie0000 said:

Sept 21, 2017 18:35:31 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

This will never happen. Too many parents have stars in their eyes regarding their kids playing pro. And those parents usually have the mentality of "it won't happen to my kid"

We've seen it it on the boards here. "But he loves it, I love to see him play, all the other kids do it."

If it does happen, I would expect a longer timeframe than 25 years.

[suburbanzookeeper]

Sept 21, 2017 18:35:31 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

I'm working on getting a local HS built in our area but due to budget issues the school district is offering a magnet/non-sports school and people are losing their ever loving shit over the potential of not having football to "round out their kids" or "get them into college." We produced an anonymous survey and some of the comments are mind boggling. They don't care about the potential injury, just that Jr. gets the chance to throw the pigskin around. 

[karinothing]

No way Texas gives up football.

It is unfortunate. I dont think there is a way to make football safer. Today ds1 asked if he could play. I said no but flag football should be fine Right? No way he will be allowed to play tackle ball while under my roof.

[Jalapeñomel]

DH and I watched Friday Night Tykes, and it's horrifying what parents are willing to do to their 8 year old by putting them in football.

[okla]

Sept 21, 2017 18:41:00 GMT -5 fryjack2 said:

Sept 21, 2017 18:35:31 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

Hand I are as well.

I don't think football will be gone in 25 years. I encounter families all the time who think these studies are bull. One father snickered and actually said, "you really aren't going to let your boys play football or hockey? So, just girly sports are allowed in your house?"

Football is such a huge part of some parts of America that it will take a lot longer for it to be obsolete.

Yep. I'm related to these people.

[fryjack2]

The Boston Globe has a great article today about a Harvard freshman who was paralyzed during his first game this past weekend. It talked about colleges needing to get rid of football but the donors and the money it generates is too big of a good thing.

I'll try to find a linkable version.

www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2017/09/21/harvard-complicity-football-injuries/CMnvQGTlHPj09zPWYmNd1M/story.html?s_campaign=bdc:globewell:opinion

[okla]

This is a really, really tough read about a young man who never played in the NFL or even college who committed suicide as a result of CTE.

www.gq.com/story/the-concussion-diaries-high-school-football-cte

[turnipthebeet]

My husband's hometown had to drop down to 8 man due to lack of interest. The school district's enrollment numbers aren't down, just for football.

However, club soccer teams are on the rise.

This is in rural Nebraska.

[Deleted]

I won't let my kids play football. I'm glad there is more research coming out because DH would still let kids play.

So far DS1 plays soccer and they're not allowed to head the ball anymore.

[lilac05]

Sept 21, 2017 18:36:42 GMT -5 curbsideprophet said:

Are there suggestions on things that can be done to reduce the risk of this (other than not play football)?

They've added/changed some rules to help protect certain positions (quarterback and kicker...don't even get me started on WHO is typically in these positions).  That gets pushback from lots of die-hard fans because it "takes all of the fun out of football."  They need to do more.  So much more.  There's new helmet technology that supposedly might make a little bit of a difference, but I don't believe it.  The damage is usually by the brain hitting the skull from the rapid change in speed and direction of the head.  No helmet is going to significantly change that.

I've been really interested in brain injuries as a result of concussions since grad school.  At the time, my H was very pro-football & thought the research was just blowing everything out of proportion.  He played in college & dreamed of our kids playing one day (not for scholarships, necessarily, but to make them well-rounded).  The more research that has come out, the more we have talked about it, and the more he sees how his hard hits have affected him over time, he has completely changed his mind.  He is now very firmly team "no football."  Our oldest is 6.  We're already getting pushback from his family.

We used to like watching college football and NFL & now we rarely watch it.  I can't support watching these kids get hurt when they've been groomed for it long before they understood the consequences.  

I hope they at least make more significant changes to the game to keep our kids safe.  The damages start long, long before the NFL. I would love to see it gone completely, but I'm not optimistic.

[Velar Fricative]

Sept 21, 2017 19:14:43 GMT -5 turnipthebeet said:

My husband's hometown had to drop down to 8 man due to lack of interest. The school district's enrollment numbers aren't down, just for football.

However, club soccer teams are on the rise.

This is in rural Nebraska.

I could be totally misinformed here, but I thought I read that there were strong possibilities based on some studies that other sports, like soccer, might carry a risk of CTE because of headers. 

[mbcdefg]

Does anyone know if rugby players are suffering the same fate? Has there been a study on that?

[jeaniebueller]

Granted I don't live In a big football area, but I have definitely seen families who may have opted for football steer their kids to soccer instead. I don't think football will disappear completely but it's def not as big as it was when I was a kid.

[jeaniebueller]

Sept 21, 2017 19:38:44 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Sept 21, 2017 19:14:43 GMT -5 turnipthebeet said:

My husband's hometown had to drop down to 8 man due to lack of interest. The school district's enrollment numbers aren't down, just for football.

However, club soccer teams are on the rise.

This is in rural Nebraska.

I could be totally misinformed here, but I thought I read that there were strong possibilities based on some studies that other sports, like soccer, might carry a risk of CTE because of headers. 

Soccer does have a high risk of concussion I have read.

[pixy0stix]

Sept 21, 2017 19:42:16 GMT -5 mbcdefg said:

Does anyone know if rugby players are suffering the same fate? Has there been a study on that?

Repetitive closed head injury occurs in a wide variety of contact sports, including football, boxing, wrestling, rugby, hockey, lacrosse, soccer, and skiing. Furthermore, in collision sports such as football and boxing, players may experience thousands of subconcussive hits over the course of a single season (11, 12). Although the long-term neurological and neuropathological sequelae associated with repetitive brain injury are best known in boxing, pathologically verified CTE has been reported in professional football players, a professional wrestler and a soccer player, as well as in epileptics, head bangers and domestic abuse victims (13–21). Other sports associated with a post-concussive syndrome include hockey, rugby, karate, horse riding, and parachuting (22–25), although the list is almost certainly more inclusive. Furthermore, additional large groups of individuals prone to repetitive head trauma, such as military veterans, may be at risk for CTE.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2945234/

[eclaires]

People around here don't care and openly mock anyone who is concerned and say things like "well if the coaches are teaching the right way...". They think their kids are going pro too so real geniuses. We let Jackson try football knowing that it probably wouldn't be his thing and knowing it would likely be one season or two max. And yep, he's done. If he was super athletic and super into football I probably never would have even let him try it because to me the repeated long term concern from these small incidents seem like the issue. Sometimes I wish we had told him no but I can't change that. If I could I probably would simply because it feels like it was too risky.

Anyway I don't even watch football anymore. I hate everything about it.

[isabel]

Sept 21, 2017 18:35:31 GMT -5 DotAndBuzz said:

H is in a related field, and thinks that within 20-25 years, the NFL, and the affiliated feeder programs (pee-wee, college ball, etc) will likely cease to exist. Not because team owners and NCAA directors will decide that they actually care about the players (we all know they don't give a shit as long as they keep playing and keep their mouths shut), but because the evidence will be so strong that parents will stop putting their kids in it, and players already in the system will sue the shit out of the entire organization for long term care/treatment/forcing them to play through "hard hits" and injury.

I really hope he's right.

My boss' kid plays football in high school. I can't help but judge. This sport is not safe, period.

[isabel]

Sept 21, 2017 19:38:44 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Sept 21, 2017 19:14:43 GMT -5 turnipthebeet said:

My husband's hometown had to drop down to 8 man due to lack of interest. The school district's enrollment numbers aren't down, just for football.

However, club soccer teams are on the rise.

This is in rural Nebraska.

I could be totally misinformed here, but I thought I read that there were strong possibilities based on some studies that other sports, like soccer, might carry a risk of CTE because of headers. 

Heading the ball is no longer allowed under a certain age. Can't remember off the top of my head.

That said, I played soccer for many years. I saw many concussions of other players, but didn't have one myself until I was an adult playing in a rec league. I haven't played since. I also was afraid to head the ball as a kid. lol Probably a good thing in hindsight!

You have to be careful with all sports, obviously, but there are certain ones that are significantly more risky.

ETA: Page 7, www.usyouthsoccer.org/FileDownload.aspx?D=FLediNqX468k7IztXneBqETHgirYDHxd5debOOzcLFU=

They can't head the ball in practice or games until after age 10. Honestly, I'd like to see that part of the game go away entirely. There's still plenty of risk for injury, but that would help.

[MrsAxilla]

Sept 21, 2017 18:48:11 GMT -5 karinothing said:

No way Texas gives up football.

It is unfortunate. I dont think there is a way to make football safer. Today ds1 asked if he could play. I said no but flag football should be fine Right? No way he will be allowed to play tackle ball while under my roof.

I was okay with flag football until I saw the older kids play (like 12+).  There's still a lot of contact and falls, and they don't wear helmets at all.  Luckily for me, my kid was not a fan and didn't want to play again, so I never had to weigh the risks seriously.  But as pixy0stix pointed out, the research shows that even small head knocks add up pretty quickly.

[turnipthebeet]

Sept 21, 2017 19:38:44 GMT -5 Velar Fricative said:

Sept 21, 2017 19:14:43 GMT -5 turnipthebeet said:

My husband's hometown had to drop down to 8 man due to lack of interest. The school district's enrollment numbers aren't down, just for football.

However, club soccer teams are on the rise.

This is in rural Nebraska.

I could be totally misinformed here, but I thought I read that there were strong possibilities based on some studies that other sports, like soccer, might carry a risk of CTE because of headers. 

My comment was speaking more about the decline of American football than CTE.