The NFL concussion lawsuit shined a light on the depth of despair and injury players suffer with following their playing days. Now we have a tragic example of the after effects of concussions once again.
On Monday, former St. Louis Cardinals safety Benny Perrin died of a self-inflicted gun shot to the head. He was just 57 years old and was a member of the class-action brought against the NFL in regards to concussions.
According to the Fox Sports report, Perrin has struggled with the after-effects of traumatic brain injury since he left the NFL:
Perrin had revealed that he suffered from headaches and blurred vision following his retirement. He attributed his problems to the many hits he took while playing.
Sadly, the Cardinals organization has had to deal with this type of tragedy in the past too. Former safety Dave Duerson committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest back in 2011. His career ended in 1993, and after just three seasons of pro football the spiral downward began thanks to brain issues.
No sad reminder of the long-term effects of traumatic brain injuries is more infamous than the case of NFL Hall of Famer Junior Seau. The former San Diego Charger took his life back in 2012 with a gunshot to the chest as well.
These are the most extreme examples of what we know can be the long-term effects of concussions on players. CTE has become a known issue, but one that will take a long while for researchers and doctors to fully understand. Right now there’s no way to detect CTE in a person until after they have passed away.
Hopefully Perrin’s tragic death at just 57 years old can serve as a further reminder of just how serious this issue is. Hopefully it also serves to help find a way to identify and treat CTE before it costs another person their life.
