Steven Threet Calling it a Career: Why it Should Make You Think

If you have followed the Big House Blog for a few years, you know one of the topics I take very seriously is that of head injuries in football.  If you missed those past articles, I will reiterate my stance on the topic:

Football is changing.  It used to be that if you played high school, college, and maybe even made it to the NFL, you were aware you might be giving up a couple of knees, probably have back problems and maybe injure a shoulder or two.  Now, however, it seems the injuries and penalties can be much worse—even devastating. 

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy—commonly referred to as CTE—is a degenerative brain disease that has been found in football players as young as 18 years old.  In boxing, they commonly refer to this disease as being "punch drunk".   CTE is now showing up in the premature deaths of many football players who struggle with depression.  These individuals often experience a brain that is more like that of a 90 year old then a 50 year old. 

One of the higher profile cases was the recent death of Cincinnati Bengals WR Chris Henry. Henry had CTE at the age of 26.  There are also studies showing former football players and European soccer players are suffering a higher rate of Lou Gehrig's disease (also known as ALS).  Why soccer players?  They are taking head shots from a ball traveling at a rate of 80 mph. 

Many researchers linked CTE to concussions, which is accurate, but the more alarming trend is evidence of CTE in players that had no history of concussions; Chris Henry is an example of that theory.  Henry reportedly never suffered a concussion. However, after his death from jumping onto a moving vehicle, it was clear he had CTE.

This week alone, there have been two alarming cases for football fans and football players, the first incident being the suicide of former Chicago Bears defensive back Dave Duerson.  Moments before his death, Duerson sent a text to his family asking for his brain to be tested and the results sent to the NFL.  Duerson was suffering from depression and was filing for bankruptcy.  

Today we learn of the apparent retirement of former Michigan QB Steven Threet who has one more year of eligibility left at Arizona State.  Steven has suffered four concussions, two of them just last year (Oct. 23 at California and Nov. 26 against UCLA). 

Threet told the Arizona Republic on Wednesday that he's still experiencing symptoms—headaches and trouble sleeping—from the last concussion.  A source told ESPN that "Doctors have told him a fifth concussion could be debilitating [..] You don't want to be 35 years old and can't hold up a cup of coffee."

If you need more proof, read the story about the University of Pennsylvania offensive lineman Owen Thomas who also committed suicide in college. Thomas was the first college football player to have CTE.  Here are his mother's chilling words: “I knew there was a missing piece,” says Thomas’ mother, the Rev. Katherine Brearley, of Allentown, Pa. “No one has given me even a hint of an explanation why Owen, at the drop of a hat, would kill himself. It’s out of all proportion and totally out of his character.”

Below is an example of the damage on the brain from CTE:

Top row: Brain sections showing dense tau protein deposition in multiple areas of frontal cortex (boxes).

Bottom row: Microscopic images showing large numbers of tau-containing neurofibrillary tangles (dark brown spots) in the areas of damage. 

(photo from BU.edu)

If things don't change, these types of head injuries will effect the long term viability of the sport we love, and the NFL is finally starting to take this seriously after years of not believing the evidence.  

It's now clearly starting to effect high school and college football as well.  Do you want someone you love playing football?  Steven, you are making a great decision.  Good luck to you outside of football.