Football causes C.T.E. C.T.E. is an abbreviation for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative brain disease caused by repeated hits to the head. It is a brutal disease, leading to personality changes, mental slowing and confusion, and early death.
The NFL has negotiated an approximately $1 billion dollar settlement with professional football players who have been diagnosed with C.T.E, but here’s an unhappy twist: Mike Webster, the pro football Hall-of-Famer, who the first player to be diagnosed with C.T.E. has been excluded from the settlement.
“The N.F.L. insisted on a provision in the settlement that could prevent players who died before 2006 from receiving compensation, which can be as much as $5 million.” Webster died in 2002. “On paper, at least, the Websters should receive nearly $3 million based on his age at the time of the diagnosis, 50, and the number of years he played in the N.F.L., 17.” So far though, Webster, and others, have not been successful in participating in the settlement.
Details can be found here: Belson, K., “He Helped Ex-Players Get Benefits. His Family Is Still Waiting,” NY Times, January 13, 2018.