List of NFL players with chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a degenerative brain disease linked to repeated head impacts. It has been found in 345 of 376 deceased former National Football League (NFL) players whose brains were donated for study, according to a 2023 report by the Boston University CTE Center — a self-selected group whose families often suspected symptoms before death. Among all former players who died between 2016 and 2021, at least one in four had CTE, though the true rate may be much higher. In comparison, a 2018 BU study of the general population found one CTE case in 164 autopsies, and the one person with CTE had played college football. The NFL acknowledged a link between playing American football and being diagnosed with CTE in 2016, after denying such a link for over a decade and arguing that players’ symptoms had other causes.

While much attention in the NFL has focused on limiting or treating concussions, the latest medical research indicates that the brain damage in CTE is caused by the cumulative impact of all collisions involving a player's head, which confirms what was generally known nearly a century ago but was then largely forgotten. The NFL has implemented rule changes to reduce collisions to the head and has sought to improve football helmet design. Critics respond that significant head trauma is inevitable for bigger, faster players in tackle football and that helmets are of limited use in preventing a player's brain from crashing into their skull, which is the cause of the brain damage that leads to CTE.

As more parents (including some NFL players) decide not to let their children play football, it remains to be seen whether football will eventually face a significant decline in popularity like boxing, which fell from prominence as the brain damage suffered by ex-boxers drew more public attention. football is the most-watched sport in the U.S. by a substantial margin while basketball is the most-played sport.

CTE's effects on players Although the symptoms of CTE can vary, it doesn't directly cause death but instead changes personality and behavior, making a person not feel like themselves anymore. Players with CTE can become isolated from their friends. Sometimes they become unable to tell a story, carry on a conversation, or recognize their loved ones. One former player later found to have CTE described having headaches that felt like ice picks hitting his brain.

Some former players with CTE suffer from memory loss and depression. Some players and those around them deal with their violent mood swings, rage, and paranoia. In some cases, damage to players' brains contributes to severe alcoholism leading to death. Two former NFL Man of the Year winners suffering from CTE symptoms have committed suicide by shooting themselves in the chest, with the intent of leaving their brains intact to be studied for the damage inflicted by football.

Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL All-Pro Bo Jackson said in a 2017 interview with USA Today that if he had known about the risks associated with CTE, he would never have played football, and he discourages his children from doing so. In late 2017, former running back Larry Johnson, who holds the NFL record for most rushing attempts in a season, reported having symptoms akin to Aaron Hernandez, including memory blanks, suicidal thoughts and thoughts of committing violent acts. Although there is no way to positively diagnose CTE before death, Johnson believes he is living with the disease.

The CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation states that "[l]ater stage CTE (stage 3 and 4) is associated with dementia, but early-stage CTE (stage 1 and 2) is more associated with what is called neurobehavioral dysregulation, which includes violent, impulsive, or explosive behavior, inappropriate behavior, aggression, rage, 'short fuse,' and lack of behavioral control."

Each year of playing tackle football increases a player's risk of developing CTE by 30 percent. Family members and friends frequently struggle to try and provide care for former players with CTE, while the NFL has been criticized for not following through on its limited promises and not using basic tests to identify dementia in former players for its legal settlement.

List Deceased players with CTE confirmed post-mortem A common definitive test currently can be made only by examining the brain tissue of a deceased victim. In a 2023 study, 345 of 376 NFL players whose brains have been autopsied had CTE.

As the vast majority of deceased former players never have specialized autopsies done on their brains—the first such autopsy was not performed until 2002, and the families of most deceased players keep their autopsy results private—the following list shows a small fraction of NFL players who have had CTE. The age listed to the right of many players' names is when their CTE symptoms began, as indicated in the referenced sources, although in some cases symptoms could have begun earlier.

Ray Abruzzese Phillip Adams"Ex-NFL player who killed 6 in Rock Hill had 'severe' CTE, doctor says, WCNC Charlotte, December 14, 2021 – CTE symptoms began in his early 30s Kenneth Adamson George Andrie Mark Arneson – late 60s Rick Arrington Chuck Arrobio – early 70s George Atkinson George Atkinson III – 20s Maxie Baughan Terry Beasley Dave Behrman Jovan Belcher – mid 20s Al Bemiller – mid 70s Wes Bender – mid 40s Jeff Blackshear – mid 30s Forrest Blue – early 50s Dorian Boose – early 40s Daniel Brabham Colt Brennan – mid 30s Curtis Brown – 50s John Bruhin Nick Buoniconti – early 70s Lew Carpenter Howard Carson – late 50s Howard "Hopalong" Cassady – late 60s Ronnie Caveness Henry Childs Greg Clark – late 40s Daniel Colchico Paul Crane Lou Creekmur – early 50s Bobby Crespino – late 50s Chuck Crist Irv Cross – late 70s Doug Cunningham Art DeCarlo Willie Daniel – mid 60s George Darrah – late 60s Fred Dean Tom DeLeone Bill Demory Taylor Dever – mid 20s Conrad Dobler David Drachman – around 50 Shane Dronett – mid 30s Dave Duerson – mid 40s Pete Duranko Ray Easterling"Autopsy: Former Falcons safety Ray Easterling had brain disease associated with concussions", CBS/AP, July 27, 2012."Ray Easterling autopsy found signs of brain disease CTE", New York Times, July 27, 2012. – mid 40s Chris Eitzmann – late 30s Kevin Ellison – late 20s James Evans Mel Farr Grant Feasel Gene Felker Cullen Finnerty – late 20s Danny Fulton Frank Gifford Daren Gilbert Cookie Gilchrist – late 30s Nesby Glasgow John GrimsleyCase Study: John Grimsley, Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. Accessed August 17, 2010. – around 40 Jason Hairston – mid 40s Darryl Hammond Carlton Haselrig – early 50s Rip Hawkins Steve Heimkreiter Chris Henry – mid 20s Aaron Hernandez – mid 20s Wally Hilgenberg John Hilton Glen Ray Hines – mid 30s Nate Hobgood-Chittick – early 40s Paul Hornung Jim Houston – early 50s Jim Hudson Claude Humphrey Gerry Huth Vincent Jackson – mid 30s Lionel James – mid 50s Darrius Johnson – early 50s John Henry Johnson – 50s Ron Johnson Sr. Vaughan Johnson – late 40s Terry Joyce Tom Keating Jim Kiick – mid 60s Marshawn Kneeland – mid 20s Bob Kuechenberg Frank LeMaster Bill Lenkaitis Greg Lens Terry Long – mid 40s Edward Lothamer – early 60s Jim Lynch Rob Lytle Charles Mackey – early 70s John Mackey – late 50s Greg Marx Ollie MatsonOllie Matson Obituary http://www.legacy.com/ns/obituary.aspx?n=ollie-matson&pid=148772388 Keith McCants Tommy McDonald Keli McGregor Tom McHaleCase Study: Thomas McHale , Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy. Accessed August 17, 2010. – mid 40s Kenny McKinley – early 20s Steve McMichael Fred McNeill – mid 40s Earl Morrall Larry Morris – mid 40s Mercury Morris Guy Morriss – early 60s Tommy Nobis Joe O'Malley Paul Oliver – late 20s Chuck Osborne – mid 30s Don Paul Ray Perkins – mid 70s Joe Perry – early 70s Richard Pickens Cyril Pinder Mike Pitts Mike Pyle Bob Riley Isiah Robertson Adrian RobinsonFormer NFL Player Adrian Robinson's Autopsy Reveals CTE Diagnosis Tyler Conway, Bleacher Report October 14, 2015, accessed October 14, 2015 – mid 20s Rocky Rosema Scott Ross – mid 30s Max Runager Tyler Sash – mid 20s Eric Scoggins Clyde Scott – 80s Jake Scott – late 60s Junior Seau – early 40s Bubba Smith Joey Smith Sr. – early 50s Steve Smith Robert Sowell Ken Stabler – mid 60s Jeff Staggs – mid 60s Bill Stanfill Justin StrzelczykKen Belson and Alan Schwarz, The N.F.L.'s Tragic C.T.E. Roll Call, The New York Times, March 15, 2016 – mid 30s Jerry Sturm Pat Sullivan – mid 50s Mosi Tatupu Daniel Te'o-Nesheim – late 20s Demaryius Thomas – early 30s Bill Troup – early 60s Max Tuerk – mid 20s Kevin Turner – mid 40s Tommy Vaughn Frank Wainright – early 40s Fulton Walker – early 50s Andre Waters – mid 40s Cornell Webster Mike Webster – late 30s Jim Welch Ralph Wenzel – early 50s Charles White – mid 30s Jesse Whittenton John Wilbur Ben Williams – mid 30s Stanley Wilson Jr. Jeff Winans – early 50s Dennis Wirgowski – early 50s Willie Wood – late 60s Frank Wycheck – mid 30s Roger Zatkoff

Deceased players suspected of having had CTE Included in the list are players diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) who were never tested post-mortem for CTE but whose history appears consistent with CTE. A typical diagnosis of ALS has primarily been based on the symptoms and signs the physician observes in the patient and a series of tests to rule out other diseases and therefore, prior to the discovery of CTE as a phenomenon in ex-American football players, many CTE cases were diagnosed as ALS. CTE has also been linked to increased rates of Parkinsonism. After CTE was first diagnosed in 2002 in the brain tissue of Mike Webster,Late Steelers great Webster's case launched the CTE brain debate Pittsburgh Post-Gazette May 14, 2013 brain donation for specialized autopsies to check for CTE have become more available.

A cohort mortality study run by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) examined 3,349 NFL players who played at least five full seasons from 1959 to 1988. Findings showed that while NFL players lived longer than the average American male — although that could be due to the correlation between income and life expectancy in the U.S. — the risk of death associated with neurodegenerative disorders was about three times higher among the NFL cohort. The risk for death from Alzheimer's disease and ALS were about four times higher among the NFL cohort.

Marion Barber III Al Bemiller Matt Blair Steve Bowman Timothy Brown Chris Brymer Dennis Byrd Dwight Clark Mike Curtis Tom Dempsey Jordan Devey Glenn Foster John Frechette Jesse Freitas Jr. Wayne Hawkins Dave Herman Gene Hickerson Dennis Homan Harry Jacobs Derrick Jensen Joe Kapp Steve Kiner Dave Kocourek Dick "Night Train" Lane Jim LeClair Tony Liscio David Lunceford Doug Martin Tom Matte Ralph Neely Dick Nolan Jim Norton Bill Pellington Jim Ringo Frank Ryan Gale Sayers Don Shinnick O.J. Simpson Aldon Smith Shevin Smith Art Spinney Milt Sunde Orlando Thomas Jim Tyrer David Walters Stanley Wilson Jr.

Living former players diagnosed with CTE or ALS or reporting symptoms consistent with CTE or ALS