So former Bears great Dave Duerson committed suicide last week...and all because he wanted his brain to be analyzed afterwards.
Quote:
A heartbreaking story developed over the weekend following the death of former Chicago Bears safety Dave Duerson. The incident that took his life last week was ruled a suicide, and The New York Times reported Duerson asked family members via text messages to have his brain examined for a disease that has been found in other deceased football players.
Duerson, in fact, shot himself in the chest rather than the head to keep his brain intact. He reportedly believed he might have chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which has been tied to depression, dementia and occasionally suicide in former NFL players.
Over the next months, his brain will be studied at The Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University.
To this point, players who have died with this disease were not aware of their condition. Duerson knew about the disease partly because of his role on an NFL Players Association committee that helped determine disability payouts to members.
It's terrifying to think that Duerson killed himself believing he might have a disease that he had seen lead to mental issues for other former players.
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Yikes.
http://espn.go.com/blog/nfcnorth/pos...uerson-suicide