DEVELOPING: Tests show Aaron Hernandez had CTE

[eDave]

Aaron Hernandez, the former NFL star who took his life while serving a murder sentence in prison, had chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- commonly known as CTE -- attorney Jose Baez said Thursday.N

Source: CNN

True? Or a play for $$$?

[O.city]

Originally Posted by DJ's left nut

That's not the right word, though.

He's not conflicted...he's just kinda think's he's supposed to be. He has no hesitation whatsoever saying he'd do it all over again. He has no hesitation saying he'd encourage kids to play football.

That's not conflicted. Perhaps it's more, I dunno, chagrined?

He says what so many of us have said - these guys may not have known the risks, but even had they known them, 90% of them still make the same decision. Now that doesn't make it right to not tell them (especially for the remaining 10%) but it also puts more perspective here.

The NFL is a violent game where people have been paralyzed on the field. Football in general yields fatal injuries every year. There have always been significant risks at all levels. But the rewards and frankly the allure of the game itself are so great that it continues to draw people that want to be a part of it.

I think thats what conflicts him. Knowing what he knows, he'd still do it again.

I'm not sure what the end game here is though. These guys are still gonna play, even knowing what they know.

[Chiefshrink]

Originally Posted by eDave

Or did CTE turn him into one?

Most NFL players if not all will show some signs of CTE(some significant and some marginal) eventually after they retire. Hernandez had issues long before he entered the NFL.

[nceagle_11]

Originally Posted by mikeyis4dcats.

there are literally hunreds of thousands of others who have been autopsied that never played football and don't have CTE. There is certainly something to it's occurence in football and likely to a certain extent in other high contact sports.

This isn't true at all. There aren't hundreds of thousands who have been autopsied for CTE that haven't played football. There are some. Find one link to back up that number and I'll back off.

The problem is that most of the brains being studied for CTE most likely had it. There is not a 100% study of every brain. Ann McKee of Boston University is famous for her study of CTE. She studied a group of brains given to her, and found that almost all of them had it. Her decision based on the population sample was that the best group of former football players that she could guess probably had CTE was 9-10%.

The point is that football players that have mental problems are having their brains donated to study. The overwhelming majority of former football players aren't donating their brains. This makes the population sample biased and unreliable.

[Discuss Thrower]

Could be that the CTE from subconcussive hits is compounded by a diet that is also leaving the same biochemical markers for brain damage.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by ShiftyEyedWaterboy

Have there been any studies done on younger athletes? College and high school football players that die young?

I had a CT scan of the head done after a concussion as a 46 year old. They found little spots that had been there for a long time. I only played through high school.

Remember getting my "bell rung" many times playing. Said it was really nothing to worry about. But, what if you add in Divison 1 and the NFL for 6-7 years. With the speed and power of the players in 2017? Everyone can see the risk regardless if you are a thug or not.

[Discuss Thrower]

Went looking for anything I could find of the NFL Extreme video that I think came exclusive to a SI subscriber, found this and happened to skip to this gem:

[FlintHillsChiefs]

Originally Posted by BigRedChief

I had a CT scan of the head done after a concussion as a 46 year old. They found little spots that had been there for a long time. I only played through high school.

Remember getting my "bell rung" many times playing. Said it was really nothing to worry about. But, what if you add in Divison 1 and the NFL for 6-7 years. With the speed and power of the players in 2017? Everyone can see the risk regardless if you are a thug or not.

CTE doesn't show up on MRIs or CAT scans.

[Rasputin]

In this case CTE did everybody a favor.

[BigRedChief]

Originally Posted by FlintHillsChiefs

CTE doesn't show up on MRIs or CAT scans.

I am well aware of this fact. My point is that even High School football players have probably dealt with many concussions. Then you get to Div.1 and the NFL the power and speed of the collisions increases exponentially. Thereby increasing the risk of CTE.