Report: Andre Waters' suicide tied to brain damage

[Bunny]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slug=ap-waterssuicide&prov=ap&type=lgns

<snip>
Brain damage caused on the football field ultimately led to the suicide of former NFL defensive back Andre Waters, according to a forensic pathologist who studied Waters' brain tissue.

Bennet Omalu of the University of Pittsburgh told The New York Times that Waters' brain tissue resembled that of an 85-year-old man and that there were characteristics of early stage Alzheimer's. Omalu told the newspaper he believed the damage was related to multiple concussions Waters sustained during his 12-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals.

Waters was 44 when he committed suicide last November.

Omalu said trauma was a significant factor in Waters' brain damage, "no matter how you look at it, distort it, bend it."
<snip>

This is pretty interesting. I wonder if the NFL will try to do more to reduce concussions.

[MrSlayer]

1. Well, he was a huge hitter and hit with the crown of his helmet.

Crown hits have been outlawed for more than a few years now. Watters was a bad motherfucker but he really paid a price for selling out like he did on every play. He once said that he would knock himself out at least once a game and sometimes more.

R.I.P. Andre.

[tishaLA]

4. I used to love Andre

and Byron Evans, who had the misfortune of not signing with the Eagles when they offered him an extension and then, in the last year of his contract, suffering a career-ending knee injury. And Seth Joyner. And Jerome Brown. And Clyde Simmons....

*sigh*

[MrSlayer]

5. Yes, they were killers.

That whole defense was awesome. Wes Hopkins, Reggie White, Andy Harmon....so many great players.

[trotsky]

2. Well, there is the relatively new Riddell helmet...

that's supposed to be better at preventing concussions.

http://www.riddell.com/RevFacts.htm

There are some contours on the outer surface of the helmet to identify it - and it seems more and more players are wearing this type.

[bigwillq]

3. I saw a piece about this on CNN

just as I was leaving for work.

Quite interesting what they had to say.