Researchers: C. Henry had brain damage before accident

[Badgerinmaine]

Chris Henry, the talented former Bengal who died in a fall from his girlfriend's pickup truck last year, seemed to act like something was seriously wrong with him on many occasions. Turns out that may have been truer than we knew: http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/story/13573835/report-henry-suffered-from-degenerative-brain-damage?tag=headlines;other
Researchers say that he was afflicted with chronic traumatic encephalopathy from multiple head impacts--pretty much a standard sort of occupational hazard for an NFL wide receiver. The story mentions former Badger and Steeler HOFer Mike Webster and his CTE; his was an unbelievable sad story after his retirement. Hopefully more research will show how to alleviate some of this damage to which football players are prone.

[hoosier]

I was surprised to see Chris Henry linked to CTE. Didn't his legal problems and strange behavior really begin the year he was drafted (2004 or 2005)? If so, then we would be talking about someone who developed that condition just by playing college football. Even if not, it is shocking to think that a 26 or 27 year old could have an advanced case of a neurological degenerative condition. With Mike Webster, Willie Wood and others it sounded like CTE was something that develops after more than a couple of concussions and many years after retirement. This should be a wakeup call for both the players union and the league, but it's hard to know if changes in helmet technology could really reduce the frequency of CTE. Maybe only a drastic change in NFL culture (e.g. a diagnosed concussion puts you out for a whole calendar year) would make a real difference.

[get louder at lambeau]

Maybe he got his head bounced off the curb a few times in his younger days.

[red]

honestly, i know a few things about head injuries

there is no way to get rid of them in football, it always going to happen. guys could wear big giant bubbles on their heads on their brains would still take a beating. every time you get hit or hit someone else, every time you slam onto the ground, whenever you momentum suddenly stops, your brain slams into your skull.

the only way to get rid of brain injuries in football is to get rid of all contact. that's not gonna happen, it comes with the territory IMO. you sign up to play football knowing damn well you're gonna get the shit kicked out of you. if you play football for 25 or 30 years ( jr. high, high school, college, pro's) chances are you're gonna end up a pretty broken down crippled old man, but you still do it

boxers go into the ring knowing they'll get hit in the head 1 or 2 hundred times in the next hour, yet they still do it too.

[retailguy]

honestly, i know a few things about head injuries

there is no way to get rid of them in football, it always going to happen. guys could wear big giant bubbles on their heads on their brains would still take a beating. every time you get hit or hit someone else, every time you slam onto the ground, whenever you momentum suddenly stops, your brain slams into your skull.

the only way to get rid of brain injuries in football is to get rid of all contact. that's not gonna happen, it comes with the territory IMO. you sign up to play football knowing damn well you're gonna get the shit kicked out of you. if you play football for 25 or 30 years ( jr. high, high school, college, pro's) chances are you're gonna end up a pretty broken down crippled old man, but you still do it

boxers go into the ring knowing they'll get hit in the head 1 or 2 hundred times in the next hour, yet they still do it too.

Our Government should protect us from this! HARLAN!!! America needs you.

[Joemailman]

Let's not bring FYI in here RG.

[retailguy]

Let's not bring FYI in here RG.

After reading this thread, I am advocating the NFFL - National Flag Football League. It is the only responsible solution.

[Badgerinmaine]

I was surprised to see Chris Henry linked to CTE. Didn't his legal problems and strange behavior really begin the year he was drafted (2004 or 2005)? If so, then we would be talking about someone who developed that condition just by playing college football.
Yeah, that sounds about right--but it's entirely possible that early damage could have come in college, though. There's lots of hard hits in college football, too. Plus, the article points out that you don't need to have a concussion to start having the effects of CTE. I'm not looking to get the hitting out of football-that's inextricably part of the game--but I'm thinking more in terms of better diagnostics to see who is having problems.

[hoosier]

I was surprised to see Chris Henry linked to CTE. Didn't his legal problems and strange behavior really begin the year he was drafted (2004 or 2005)? If so, then we would be talking about someone who developed that condition just by playing college football.
Yeah, that sounds about right--but it's entirely possible that early damage could have come in college, though. There's lots of hard hits in college football, too. Plus, the article points out that you don't need to have a concussion to start having the effects of CTE. I'm not looking to get the hitting out of football-that's inextricably part of the game--but I'm thinking more in terms of better diagnostics to see who is having problems.

Improving diagnostics is certainly part of the picture. Recent studies have shown that concussions and other brain injuries have long term and cumulative effects. Getting the NFL to acknowledge those findings and to advocate changes in how teams deal with head injuries (or even implement rules to regulate treatment) is going to be the hard part of the battle. The NFL has resisted recognizing the seriousness of head injuries to the point that some critics have compared its attitude to the position of cigarette manufacturers on smoking and lung cancer. If Goodell could put as much energy into changing the league's approach to head injuries as he has to cleaning up off-the-field behavior, that would be a big step.

[KYPack]

Henry was a slot receiver. He had a ton of speed and skill, but a physical WR? Hell no. He wouldn't run any slants or digs. If Henry had significant brain damage, there must be a lot of guys in the league whose brains are mush.

Henry was a funny guy. All the guys on the team really liked Slim. He was like a fun loving little brother who always gets caught when he screws up. The guys viewed most of his troubles as the hi-jincks of a goofy little kid.

The stories about Henry "turning his life around" were based on the fact that he quit going to strip bars. His fatal injury was most likely caused by him diving out of a pick-up onto the street and landing on his head. He was one tragic guy, no doubt about it.

[retailguy]

America has always, and will always, love a feel good comeback story. We all wanted this guy to defy the odds and change, but the number of times it actually happens are slim and almost none...