April 22nd, 1990, a middle linebacker from the University of Southern California by the name of Junior Seau was drafted 5th overall by the San Diego Chargers. During his nineteen years in the NFL, he was a ten-time all pro, twelve-time pro bowl selection, 1990’s all decade team, and was introduced into the hall of fame in 2015. Junior Seau had an extensive and severe history of head traumas and decided to retire with the New England Patriots in 2009. On May 2nd, 2012 the San Diego Police department received a call from his girlfriend who had found him laying on the ground at his house in Oceanside, California. Junior Seau was pronounced dead that day after he committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. None of his family or close friends knew why he did this. He had never shown any signs of depression or suicidal tendencies. His family donated his brain to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). They then found out he had Chronic traumatic encephalopathy. …show more content…
This paper will go into detail about the mental and physical health effects of CTE and address what the NFL is doing to reduce concussions. CTE affects players not just mentally but also physically. One out of every three NFL players are affected by CTE and it is becoming a bigger issue everyday. CTE used to not be as common in football payers, but more in boxers, it was very common due to various amounts of headshots taken by the