Famed concussion forensic pathologist Dr. Bennet Omalu believes O.J. Simpson has CTE.
Dr. Bennet Omalu is a pioneer in the way that sports views concussions, namely football and the discovery of CTE. With the movie Concussion being made about Dr. Omalu and his discovery of CTE in the brains of deceased football players, the discussion of concussions in football has never been greater.
As more and more deceased players are revealed to have CTE in their brains, the league is working toward making a safer game and having strict concussion protocols. While the players currently playing are going through more protocols than ever before, players that have long since retired or are deceased didn’t have the same privilege of having the knowledge of head trauma that is out there.
In fact, Dr. Omalu believes that disgraced Hall of Fame running back and current convict, O.J. Simpson, suffers from the disease known as CTE. Dr. Omalu told People Magazine that he would bet his medical license on Simpson having CTE.
"“I would bet my medical license that he has CTE,” Omalu, who inspired the movie Concussion, starring Will Smith, tells PEOPLE exclusively."
Omalu believes that Simpson’s behaviors and tendencies can be linked to symptons of CTE, which can cause mood swings and violent tendencies. Considering the fact that Simpson played at a time where players did whatever they could to stay on the field after suffering huge blows to the head, it’s not out of the realm of possibility to believe he has CTE.
There’s been more and more cases of football players with CTE arising ever since the discovery of the disease, which means there’s a great likelihood several are suffering from the disease that may not even know it. In the case of O.J. Simpson, it would make all the sense in the world for him to have CTE.