Former NFL quarterback Ken Stabler had brain disease CTE

His family announced his death on Stabler’s Facebook page on Thursday, July 9, 2015.

“It may be surprising since he was a quarterback, but certainly the lesions were widespread, and they were quite severe, affecting many regions of the brain”, the Times quoted her as saying.

After he died, Stabler’s brain and spinal cord were donated to researchers at Boston University. Over several months, Stabler’s brain was dissected for clues to help understand his final years and the impact of CTE on the brains of former athletes. The finding of CTE in Stabler – who was the NFL’s most valuable player in 1974 and took the Raiders to a Super Bowl title in 1977 – reveals that no player who has encountered repeated hits to the head is immune to the disease.

CTE is caused by a buildup of tau in the brain. Hall of Famer’s Junior Seau, Mike Webster and Frank Gifford also had CTE, which can only be diagnosed posthumously.

Drafted in the second round by Oakland out of Alabama in 1968, the left-handed Stabler was known for his accuracy, clutch performances – and off-field exploits. Two years after that, he quarterbacked the Raiders to their first Super Bowl title, throwing for 180 yards and a touchdown in Oakland’s win over Minnesota. According to the New York Times, more than 100 players, including at least seven members of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, have been diagnosed with having the disease.

A Hollywood movie starring Will Smith as the neuropathologist who helped make the link between concussions sustained by National Football League players and CTE was released in theaters past year.

McKee, who conducted the examination, said called Stabler’s case “pretty classic”.