Chronic traumatic encephalopathy is a degenerate brain disease that can have gradual and lasting effects on its sufferers. Some of the earliest findings of CTE occurred in 1928, when veteran boxers exhibited a worsening cognitive performance recorded by doctors.

CTE is characterized by:

• Mild-to-severe memory loss
• Speech pattern problems
• Concentration issues
• Pronounced dementia
• Parkinson's disease

In recent years, there has been a strong correlation between the prevalence of CTE and playing in the NFL. A Boston University study found that in the examination for 15 deceased NFL players, 14 of them exhibited CTE caused by both concussive and sub-concussive trauma to their heads.

Why is the NFL Responsible?

If the awareness of CTE relatively new, then why is the NFL responsible for these injuries? The truth is that the NFL has been actively fighting to suppress evidence that there is a correlation between playing football and CTE for some time. Until 2009, the NFL and scientists that it employed aggressively tried to discount evidence of football-caused CTE. Even their own research body, the Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Committee, has publicly fought and tried to discount the mounting evidence and growing number of studies that have supported the NFL-CTE connection.

Even worse, during this time, the NFL did not properly protect and educate its players about the risks associated with playing the game. For every annual draft and new generation of players, more and more young men have been exposed to head trauma that the NFL should have recognized as a significant risk of the disease.