Former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler suffered from C.T.E.

Studies show former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler had the degenerative disease that has plagued several players

The NFL has been mentioned in the media negatively for several years. Whether its DeflateGate or the NFL referee lockout in 2012, there has always been something to talk about. A major battle they are dealing with now is the consequences of the deadly degenerative disease C.T.E. It turns out another player had become a victim of it. Announced by a report in The New York Times, former Oakland Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler suffered from severe C.T.E.

Ken Stabler played in the NFL for 15 years, 10 of them with the Oakland Raiders. He was the NFL MVP in 1974, a four-time Pro Bowler and led the Raiders to a Super Bowl victory during the 1976-77 season. Stabler is a finalist for this year’s Pro Football Hall of Fame class and the final announcement will come this Saturday, the day before the Super Bowl.

Before the NFL, he played at Alabama as a member of the Crimson Tide. During that time, he was 28-3-2 as a starter. Stabler died last July at the age of 69 due to colon cancer. His brain was dissected as he had wished, due to complications he was going through before his death.

According to the chief of neuropathology at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System Dr. Ann McKee:

"“He had moderately severe disease. Pretty classic. It may be surprising since he was a quarterback, but certainly the lesions were widespread, and they were quite severe, affecting many regions of the brain.”"

According to the New York Times article, his hearing would be different; although a music lover, he couldn’t stand the sound as C.T.E. affected his thought process. Stabler became impatient, violent and disinterested from society. He joins a list that included Mike Webster, Junior Seau and recently announced Tyler Sash as former players to be diagnosed with the disease. Astonishingly, he is the seventh retired NFL quarterback to be found to have had C.T.E., all by Boston University.

There seemed to be a link between the amount of time he played and his life after. Dr. McKee went on to say:

"“The very severity of the disease, at least that we’re seeing in American football players, seems to correlate with the duration of play. The longer they play, the more severe we see it. But it’s also the years since retirement, to the age of death — not only the longer you play, but the longer you live after you stop playing.”"

It is sad to find out another former player had been suffering after his playing days. If Stabler was to be nominated this year for the Hall of Fame, it will be a very somber welcome into the Hall. It appears to be another layer to the story of the deadly disease that the NFL initially tried to sweep under the rug. The Concussion movie shed some light on the disease and how it can affect a player. Further research will also give casual fans an understanding about C.T.E. and how it changed a once beloved player.

Unfortunately, in the next few years, there may be more cases of C.T.E. among young and old players. With the NFL more aware, there is a chance that something positive can arise from more research, before it is too late.