Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Essay

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE for short, is a progressive degenerative brain disease found in the brains of athletes, specifically football players. The repetitive hits to the head sustained while playing the game of football ultimately results in the degeneration of brain tissue and the build-up of an abnormal protein known as tau.

Mike Webster was a famous offensive linemen for the Pittsburg Steelers who spent fourteen years in Pittsburg and his last two years in Kansas City. Mike Webster’s brain was the first of many NFL players’ that were sent and used for research. After his death, Webster, followed by eight more former NFL players, were diagnosed with CTE by Bennett Omalu, a forensic neuropathologist. …show more content…
When we turn on our televisions to watch football on Sundays, CTE does not come to our minds, the majority of football fans most likely unaware of what the disease even is. After seeing this documentary, I have learned the cold truth about football and what it does to not only the players, but those who surround the players and care for them. I don 't believe football will ever stop being played, and as long as it 's being played, the players will face the consequences. Although using the head to block or tackle maybe be very effective, rules should change, avoiding head to head or head to body contact as much as possible. Technology is improving day by day, but the technology of the helmets that NFL players wear hasn 't seemed to make a difference when it comes to prevent long term injuries like CTE. I believe that players should be taught from a young age how to tackle and play the game without using their head, and it should be enforced on every level of football. The helmet should not be used as a weapon, but simply to protect the player in situations that may be out of their control. As long as football exists, helmet contact will exist and continue, and brain trauma will inevitably be the