Frank Gifford's Autopsy Reveals Former NFL Star Had CTE

NFL Hall of Famer and broadcasting legend Frank Gifford died in August at the age of 84, and an autopsy conducted by his family has added more depth to the discussion regarding football's connection with traumatic brain injuries. 

According to NBC News' Bradd Jaffy, Gifford's family released a statement Wednesday confirming Gifford suffered from head trauma related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy:

Giants Sr. Vice President Pat Hanlon released a statement on behalf of the organization: 

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"We have great respect and sympathy for the Gifford family. We all miss Frank dearly. We support the family’s decision to contribute to the discussion and research of an issue we take very seriously."

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Commissioner Roger Goodell also released a statement, via Zac Jackson of Pro Football Talk: 

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“This work will continue as the health and safety of our players remains our highest priority,” Goodell’s statement said. “We have more work to do — work that honors great men like Frank Gifford.​

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“We appreciate the Gifford family’s desire to help the medical community understand more about CTE, and we are grateful for their support of the league’s efforts to improve safety in our game. At the NFL, we are supporting grants to NIH and Boston University as well as other independent efforts to research the effects of repetitive head trauma."

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“But we are not waiting until science provides all of the answers. We are working now to improve the safety of our game. The NFL has made numerous rules changes to the game, all to enhance player health and safety at all levels of football. These include 39 rule changes and better training and practice protocols that are yielding measurable results.”

CTE—a degenerative brain disease—has been found in several deceased former players over the past few years. 

In 2013, a study of deceased San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau revealed he had been suffering from CTE prior to his death. Adrian Robinson Jr., a former linebacker who killed himself at 25 years old, also suffered from CTE, according to the Associated Press.

What's more, a study this past September produced eye-opening results regarding the number of former NFL players affected by CTE. According to CNN.com's Jason Hanna, Debra Goldschmidt and Kevin Flower, research showed 87 of 91 players who donated their brains to science suffered from CTE.

However, researchers at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University reiterated that such a vast majority percent of players aren't necessarily at risk for the disease since the "brains came from players who, while they were alive, had concerns about CTE."

In April, a federal judge in Philadelphia resolved a lawsuit and ordered the NFL to pay out roughly $1 billion over 65 years to players suffering from various brain diseases since retiring.