Former NFL Player's Family Donating His Brain After His Tragic Suicide Death

There's speculation that a number of issues including a failed business, divorce, foreclosure, and other legal issues could have led to the suicide death of former Chicago Bear safety, Dave Duerson. The former NFL star player was found dead in Florida on Thur., Feb.17, and the death was later ruled a suicide. His family has decided to donate his brain to The Center For The Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at the Boston University School of Medicine, a spokesman for the center told the Associated Press.

Although there is no word on weather Duerson left a suicide note, the New York Times reported that he had sent text messages to his family asking that his brain be examined for chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a degenerative disease tied to depression, dementia and suicide. The center for that study at the Boston University's school of medicine told the Associated Press that they had been contacted by a NFL Players Association representative on behalf of the family, then secured the donation later that day.

According to a spokesman for The Center For The Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy in Boston, the brain will eventually undergo a battery of studies looking for any disease or abnormalities, and focus on CTE, which has been found in a number of former athletes. The goal is to better understand the disease so it can be treated and to develop a diagnostic test for people while they're still alive and use the information to hopefully develop better prevention for those suffering from the disease.

Currently, it was reported that more than 300 athletes, including current and former NFL players are on the CSTE's brain donation registry. There are 65 cases currently being studied. The group has been at the forefront of research into head trauma in sports and has received a $1million gift from the NFL, which has pushed for better treatment of concussions. A large percentage of CTE cases have committed suicide, but a single act can never be totally linked to a disease, the report goes on to say.

Dave Duerson played for the Chicago Bears when they went to the Super Bowl. He went on to play in 4 pro-bowls and then to another Super Bowl in 1990 when he played for the New York Giants, before wrapping up his career with the Arizona Cardinals.

After retiring he owned several McDonald franchises, and eventually started his own company. Things didn't always go well for Duerson after that, but at a recent Bear's reunion, he was described as seeming fine.

Former Bears teammates said they want to offer each other support to make sure nobody else going through this ends up with the same outcome, Duerson did. Everyone agreed that this is very tragic for someone at his age and is in good health, overall. Duerson was described as a good man and was to be married in April.

Source: FoxSports.com