Demaryius Thomas was a NFL wide receiver, mostly with the Denver Broncos. He died 7 months ago at age 33. His direct cause of death was cardiac arrest due to seizure. His parents donated his brain to Boston University CTE Center. And results showed he had Stage 2 Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is associated with cognitive and mood abnormalities. Family members said Thomas developed depression, anxiety, panic attacks and trouble with his memory in the years before his death. CTE is associated with repeated blows to the head and currently can be diagnosed only after death.
More than 320 former NFL players have been found to have CTE. Running backs, defensive backs, linebackers and wide receivers, positions susceptible to higher speed impact, are the most vulnerable. Like all previous cases, CTE in Thomas has been noted by the media just in passing. No further action necessary. The sad aspect of all of this is that damage inflicted on the players from high school through college to the NFL is mostly all for naught: the career of an NFL player lasts just 3.5 years and the current median salary is just $860,000. The typical post-NFL career is security guard. Most of the players do not belong in college but are shoveled through on phony courses to satisfy the monetary demands of professional colleges where coaches are paid $10 million a year and players get by on free tuition and subsistence allowance.
Parents should not be having their children play football. But they read about the few highly paid players publicized and glamorized by the media and think that is the norm. Not close. Sadness all around.
More than 320 former NFL players have been found to have CTE. Running backs, defensive backs, linebackers and wide receivers, positions susceptible to higher speed impact, are the most vulnerable. Like all previous cases, CTE in Thomas has been noted by the media just in passing. No further action necessary. The sad aspect of all of this is that damage inflicted on the players from high school through college to the NFL is mostly all for naught: the career of an NFL player lasts just 3.5 years and the current median salary is just $860,000. The typical post-NFL career is security guard. Most of the players do not belong in college but are shoveled through on phony courses to satisfy the monetary demands of professional colleges where coaches are paid $10 million a year and players get by on free tuition and subsistence allowance.
Parents should not be having their children play football. But they read about the few highly paid players publicized and glamorized by the media and think that is the norm. Not close. Sadness all around.
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