Chris Henry: Another Example of Brain Damage in Football

As you know (if you're a regular follower of this blog), I am very interested in the study and prevention of concussions in football.   No matter what level of football you have played, I am sure there was a time when your coach said, "You got your bell rung" or you felt a little foggy.  It used to be a sign of toughness if you were able to continue playing.  I remember Troy Aikman once said he doesn't remember throwing a touchdown pass in the NFC Championship game after he suffered a concussion on the play before. 

Concussions in football have been the sport's dirty little secret for many years. The NFL for years completely ignored the importance of concussions or brain damage.  That time is over , and now we are learning more every day about what a life of football can do to a brain.

The latest example comes from the late Chris Henry (former RR player at West Virginia), who died last year after falling out of the back of a pick-up truck driven by his fiancee.   He fell to the ground as the truck was moving and died from multiple head injuries.  During a recent autopsy , Henry was found to be suffering from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE)—a form of degenerative brain damage caused by multiple hits to the head. 

CTE is also know as "punch-drunk syndrome" and is found in many boxers.  Basically the disease is a form of early-onset dementia.  The best way to describe CTE is that a 40-50 year old man suffering from CTE will have the brain of an 80-90 year old man.

According to an ESPN.com article on the discovery:
"CTE can be pinpointed only by autopsy, and even under regular post-mortem analysis, its effects are invisible. But using cell-staining techniques discovered and developed by Bennet Omalu, a neuropathologist who is co-director of BIRI, scientists can see the dangerous tau proteins and telltale tangles that characterize CTE. After staining normal brain cells are blue and appear uncluttered under a microscope, while Henry's brain cells were discolored, clumpy, and filled with threads, according to the researchers."

You know have to wonder if some of Chris's unique behavior as an NFL player was caused by this brain damage?  Over 50 NFL players have been found to have had this type of brain damage.  There are many studies going on currently on the effects of concussions.  One study at North Carolina is studying the effects of regular hits (non-concussions) on the brain.  Some researches believe it's not only the concussions that are causing damage but also the regular impact taken in practice and during games. 

I have voiced my concern here a number of times for former Michigan running back Sam McGuffie, who suffered three concussions during his first year of college football.  After taking a year off, McGuffie will resume his college football career at Rice in the fall.  As one of Rice's most talented players, I expect McGuffie to get a lot of carries and hopefully not a fourth concussion.  I think players like McGuffie who have had a number of concussions are at greater risk to receive more. 

As you know, I love football.  I think college football is one of the greatest games on earth.  I'm just not sure I want my son playing it.