Junior Seau and How CTE Killed Him Junior Seau was an elite NFL linebacker who retired in 2009. He played in the NFL from 1990 until 2009 and went to 12 Pro Bowls and was named to the 1990’s All Decade Team. He also was a huge philanthropist in the San Diego area of California as well as being an entrepreneur. He was a great and influential role model for kids and for football players. In 2012, just over three years after he retired, he died from a gunshot wound to the heart. The question is not how he died but why he died. Junior Seau was 43 when he passed away from a gunshot to the heart. It was determined to be self-inflicted. Junior Seau, a hall of fame NFL player, killed himself, but no one knew why he killed himself till months later. The circumstances that led to him killing himself …show more content…
The only way to diagnose it is posthumously. In the three years prior to his death, Junior Seau was having increased mood swings, falling into depression, forgetfulness, insomnia and emotional detachment. Junior Seau's brain showed definitive signs of CTE. Those signs included the presence of an abnormal protein called "tau”. Tau forms neurofibrillary tangles, effectively strangling brain cells. The doctors also discovered a small region in the left frontal lobe of his brain with evidence of scarring consistent with a small, old, traumatic brain injury. Many former NFL players and boxers have committed suicide in a way that would allow their brain to be researched and studied to be able to find a way to diagnose or prevent CTE. Junior Seau is just the latest of them to do this. There were reports that Junior had texted his family that he loved them hours prior to his passing and he waited till his girlfriend was gone before he killed himself. I believe that Junior Seau committed suicide because of the mental anguish he was going through and could not handle what his life was becoming because of CTE and that he shot himself in the heart so
In this examination, Dr. Omalu found a chronic disease that he believed to be caused by playing in the NFL (Kirk). As stated in the film by Steve Fainaru, “And that decision would change the NFL, because if Webster’s brain had not been examined, I don’t honestly think that we would be where we are at today” (Kirk). Without this examination the investigation would not have occurred, and therefore, the muckraking would not have occurred.
Former NFL superstar tight end Aaron Hernandez was convicted of executing a man. He killed him with six bullets inside an industrial park, he and was sentenced to life in prison (“Aaron Hernandez’s”). Concussions are a scary reality of playing National Football League (NFL). Every year there are more and more players that are having season ending, or career ending injuries due to hits to the head.
A trait simply described as the overestimation of oneself can be a quintessential element in understanding a character’s downfall. People such as Chris McCandless, Oedipus and Tiger Woods are key examples when trying to relate, understand, and analyze what we know today as “Hubris”. The connections that can be made between each of these characters describe the very nature of how a hero will ultimately meet their bane as a result of being blinded by their own flaws. The death of Chris McCandless was an extremely controversial subject that involved many different people. The justification of his death can be argued in a way .
CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy) is a progressive, degenerative disease of the brain caused by repeated head injuries. CTE was first found in boxers and recent studies show that CTE is also found in football players. It causes a buildup of an abnormal protein called Tau. During the recent interview conducted by the New York Times, NFL members have denied having any relationship between the NFL and CTE. However, there is evidence pointing against them.
The two football players were a big surprise to everybody. Junior Seau was a big surprise because of his success in the NFL. He is going to be a hall of famer in the NFL. CTE is a very dangerous disease that affects a lot of
In the true story based movie and the documentary, the dangers of head injuries in football are laid out for the viewer. Dr. Bennet Omalu discovered the brain injury chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE; however, the NFL was in denial about the effects football had on the brain and had on causing CTE. I believe that the NFL’s denial to the accusations were detrimental to many football players and that serious consideration should be taken into the way football is played overall. When Dr. Omalu originally diagnosed CTE on Mike Webster and the NFL denied that football was the cause for his death and disease.
The era of Football in America is slowly coming to a close. Football has been known as America’s sport next to baseball for many years now. The general physicality of every play isn’t(B3) matched by any other sport on the planet, and that is why football causes more injuries than any other sport on the professional, and youth levels. Parents are pulling their kids from their teams, even in the middle of the season because of the information that has been released over the past decade illuminating a big problem for the game.
Discovery Famous football coach, Tony Dungy, is consistently a man of honor and strength throughout his book “Quiet Strength”. His book is a memoir of his life which captures his discovery of what it means to be a Godly leader and how to live it out both on and off the field. With his son 's tragic suicide, and media fiascos with players, Tony discovers that listening to God and who he has put in our lives will give him peace and wisdom. Tonys upbringing set him up for a lifetime of possibilities which allowed him to go farther than most. I connected most with how Tony handled his son’s suicide, he handled it in a manner I wish i could and would have.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy “...is thought to be caused by repeated blows to the head, which damage brain tissue and lead to a buildup of an abnormal protein called tau… (Rachael Rettner)” It has also been linked to the deaths of multiple football players and has been found in the brains of more than sixty football players. One problem with it is that it can only be diagnosed after death. Chris Borland, a recent on-the-rise linebacker for the San Francisco 49ers who was set to be their starting middle linebacker for the 2015 NFL season. After researching the problems that can arise from repeated hits to the head, one of them being Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, he decided to retire in March
Walter Payton is an iconic role model to many people, and he has had an influence on others before his career and during it. One of the greatest running backs in NFL history, Walter Payton played his entire career with the Chicago Bears. When he retired, he was the all time leader in rushing yards and was one of the most beloved figures in sports. Walter Payton’s nickname was “Sweetness” to reflect his personality and playing style. “The smiley, goofy, soft-spoken Payton was a sweet person.
He was airlifted to a neurosurgical trauma center at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. There was pressure on the skull and presents of brain swelling and a subdural hematoma, this is a collection of blood build up in the brain. He was in the hospital for 98 das, and suffered many other major problems related to his brain injury. He had softening of certain affected areas in the brain, low blood pressure, kidney failure, pneumonia, the dangerous infection sepsis, temporary cardiac arrest and an inability to walk and talk. Years later, he has regained most of his speech but still has some cognitive problems and uses a wheelchair to get
Lyle pasted away at the age of 43 because of brain cancer. he said “he believed his heavy use of anabolic steroids caused the rare cancer. ”(Tom Robinson 61) Even when Lyle retired from the NFL he could not control his addiction to steroids and continued to use them. It took him years to overcome this addiction.