Football <\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s always the fear of what happens next. What\u2019s the next step?\u201d\u00a0<\/em>Those words of Brett Favre<\/strong> came on the back of his Parkinson\u2019s disease diagnosis last year. Well, Favre, in his 20-year football career, often used to find himself dealing with head injuries. Those repeated brain traumas, even the mild ones, could\u2019ve played a part in his getting diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s. Favre\u2019s revelation once again raised questions over football\u2019s link with the degenerative brain disorder as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).<\/p>\n The NFL has been trying to reduce concussions by increasing player awareness and by changing certain rules to lower the odds of high-speed collisions. Ten years ago, the league also began teaming up with helmet manufacturers to try to build safer equipment. Last year, there were 182 concussions during practices and regular season games \u2014 a 17% drop compared to the previous season, which saw 219 such cases.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Still, there is a long way to go when it comes to dealing with brain trauma and its repercussions such as CTE, which has affected numerous NFL players in the past. So, with his ongoing Parkinson\u2019s battle after a 20-year football career, Favre has had that he is willing to donate his brain for CTE study after his passing.<\/p>\n Speaking with TMZ Sports<\/em>, Brett Favre was asked whether he would be willing to donate his brain to scientific research after his death. While some would take some time to make this decision, Favre didn\u2019t take long to share his stance: \u201cI have no problems with them studying it,\u201d <\/em>before lightheartedly adding, \u201cIt <\/em>probably wouldn\u2019t take long to study it.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Having dealt with concussions during his playing career, Favre spent a significant time after his retirement trying to find a remedy for the issue. In fact, Favre will be honored with a humanitarian award at a Super Bowl party on Saturday in New Orleans, in part, due to his work on the matter.<\/p>\n Now, besides being on board with the scientists utilizing his brain for CTE research, Favre also said that if were able to somehow help find a cure for such issues, \u201cThat would be the greatest accomplishment that I\u2019m part of.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Last year, Favre was diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s disease in January after he began having trouble using his right arm and was unable to hold a screwdriver steady. He revealed his condition during a congressional about a\u00a0welfare misspending scandal<\/span>\u00a0in Mississippi.<\/p>\n In\u00a0a 2022 interview with \u201cThe Bubba Army\u201d radio show, he estimated that he had suffered thousands of concussions. \u201cEvery time my head hit the turf, there was ringing or stars going, flash bulbs, but I was still able to play,\u201d<\/em> he had said.<\/p>\n Favre\u2019s words about donating his brain for CTE study eventually, come after it was revealed that former Pro Bowl guard Conrad Dobler, once dubbed the NFL\u2019s \u201cdirtiest player,\u201d had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death in 2023.<\/p>\n Dobler had famously said in a 1977 Sports Illustrated<\/em> cover story that, \u201cI\u2019ll do anything I can get away with.\u201d\u00a0<\/em>But it seems that for everything he did on the gridiron, Dobler sadly had to face the consequences.<\/p>\n His daughter, Erin Lewin<\/strong>, at the time of his passing, spoke openly about the toll those head injuries had on her dad, \u201cMy dad loved the game of football. But his love for the game took a toll on his body, his mind and his relationships. His CTE diagnosis provides a sense of closure in terms of justifying his neurological and behavioral issues that took a toll not only on him but on all of us who loved and cared for him.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Well, the 3-time Pro Bowler like Favre, also decided in 2010 to donate his brain for CTE research. And you know what? He wasn\u2019t the only one in 2023 to take his last breath with CTE in his brain. Former Titans<\/strong> TE Frank Wycheck<\/strong> also had CTE at the time of his passing.<\/p>\n As the trend of footballers getting diagnosed with CTE after death continues, Brett Favre shed a grim picture of what it could be like in the next few years, \u201cI would think that every player that dies from here on out. If they have their brain tested. I\u2019d say a high percentage would have CTE.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n While there wasn\u2019t any conclusive evidence of the disease being linked to a head injury, CTE is more common among footballers. A study in 2023 found that there\u2019s a 61% higher chance of a footballer getting diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s compared to other sports.<\/p>\n Other than getting diagnosed with Parkinson\u2019s, there\u2019s also a possibility of footballers losing their lives because of CTE. Moreover, the details from a Boston University research in 2023 do paint a grim picture.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n In 2023, researchers at the Boston University CTE Center studied the brains of 376 deceased former NFL players and diagnosed 345 of them with chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The prevalence of CTE among NFL players is unknown as it can only be definitively diagnosed after death according to medical researchers. However, repetitive head impacts could be a chief risk factor for CTE among football players.<\/p>\n Ann McKee, director of the university\u2019s CTE Center and chief of neuropathology at VA Boston Healthcare System called out the NFL following the research. \u201cIt\u2019s a reminder of how we\u2019ve become complacent. The NFL hasn\u2019t done anything substantial to prevent CTE or diagnose CTE, the risk is still there. The risk is high. That\u2019s why we released it this week,\u201d <\/em>she said in an interview with The Brink.<\/p>\n ADVERTISEMENT<\/p>\n Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<\/div>\n This year during the AFC Championship game, Buffalo Bills cornerback Christian Benford was sidelined after suffering a concussion, once again raising questions about player safety in the league.<\/span><\/p>\n With the introduction of better helmet technology, the NFL is taking steps to ensure that the risk of concussions is reduced but challenges remain. The players need to be protected no matter how the game of football is to be played. Because, at the end of the day, the life of an individual is bigger than four-quarters of snaps every week.<\/p>\n<\/div>\nFootball Terror of CTE still wreaks havoc over footballer lives<\/strong><\/h2>\n