While he never played professionally, so directly blaming them is a little tortured, we should absolutely be open to the idea that this was his genuine surface-level motive, and also that there might be something to it. Almost alone among sports, American football is a very popular activity that relies on constant subconcussive hits to the head in practice and games, starting as early as 8 years old. Repeated subconcussive brain injuries over an extended period of time is exactly what causes CTE. The NFL has been very adept at turning the conversation away from CTE by offering up concussion protocols and treatments, as this “feels” the same to the public and is not without value, but can be addressed without fundamentally changing how the game must be played and practiced, and how the pipeline of young players – which the NFL gets for free because High School and especially high-level college football are financially self-sustaining – would develop.

The sufferers can’t be properly diagnosed without autopsy, so a former football player might be tempted to blame any issues he has on it, but symptoms include depression, paranoia, early cognitive decline, and drastic personality changes. Several prominent players, including a couple of legends in the NFL world, have committed suicide by writing a note asking for an autopsy and then shooting themselves in the chest. The infamous Chris Benoit case may have involved CTE as well.