http://deadspin.com/tony-dorsett-on-cte-i-didnt-know-the-end-was-going-to-1684734846
http://espn.go.com/dallas/nfl/story/_/id/12300070/tony-dorsett-battling-cte-had-no-idea-end-was-going-this
A 3 time First-Team All American. Winner of the 1976 Heisman Trophy. The second overall pick in the 1977 NFL draft. A Super Bowl champion. One of the greatest running backs not only in Cowboy's history but in NFL history. A hall of famer.
Tony Dorsett.
CTE.
Need I say anymore?
One of the greatest players to ever grace the football field has been diagnosed with CTE, a disease that tortures a man's mind.
Here's a snippet about what Dorsett had to say to 1310 The Ticket in Dallas:
"I signed up for this when, I guess, I started playing football so many years ago," Dorsett told 1310 The Ticket in Dallas. "But, obviously, not knowing that the end was going to be like this. But I love the game. The game was good to me. It's just unfortunate that I'm going through what I'm going through.This quote really hit me hard:
"I understand that I'm combating it, trying to get better. But, you know, some days are good. Some days are bad."The same man that would make defenders miss left and right is now in this constant battle with himself. The only difference is that you can't juke your brain.
He never knew "that the end was going to be like this." The vast majority of current football players, at levels ranging from Pee Wee to NFL, don't know how "the end" will be for them as well. Probably the worst thing about my entire thesis presentation has been stories like this. Ever since I've started becoming aware of the situation, I've realized that this isn't a little problem. This is a huge matter to deal with. Bellini, Kosta Karageorge, and now Tony Dorsett. When I first learned about CTE I thought it occurred rarely even in football players. Now, I start seeing a more and more former athletes popping up with the disease. Concussions and Football: A Hidden Epidemic. The title of my thesis project makes more sense now than it ever has before.
Dorsett has describe the fact that his daughters are scared of him as "painful."
Dorsett made some very level headed remarks about the direction of the game of football:
"Dorsett said he doesn’t like all of the changes to the game that have been made in the name of player safety because they’ve changed the game from the one he played, but adds there’s “no question about” making those changes if they make life better for players. He also said that he’d still let his son (Anthony Dorsett played eight NFL seasons) play football knowing the potential downside, although he’d pay more attention to the physical toll that the game can take on those who play it."
I found this response to this comment about the whole situation regarding Dorsett to be extremely informative:
The comment:
These men are gladiators. They pay the physical price for the fortune and fame, and perhaps that's why we love them as heroes. It's important to keep in mind that their choices to sacrifice their bodies for this glory is indeed a choice; I have no sympathy for those living a life of privilege and excess that ultimately succumb to the consequences.
The response:
I gotta agree with these guys. Dorsett knew that there was a good chance of knee and other joint problems later in life due to playing football in the 70s and 80s. He knew that there was a chance he would suffer a spinal injury. If he was complaining about those issues you would have a case.
CTE, or the liver issues suffered from guys who were pumped full of Toradol are completely separate issues. Not only were they not aware of these risks, the NFL in later years did everything possible to keep the players and the public from being aware of these risks.
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