News broke on Friday that former Bears safety Dave Duerson had been found dead at the age of 50. Duerson’s end has been made sadder and more poignant by details released on Saturday. According to the local medical examiner, Duerson committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest. From NBC Chicago:
Dave Duerson Committed Suicide, Asked For Brain To Be Left For Research
In a text message to loved ones, Duerson asked that his brain be left for NFL research, emphasizing he wanted the “left side” checked out in particular.
The exact circumstances surrounding Duerson’s suicide are unclear:
Friends and family members made no comments about medical issues Duerson may have been suffering from prior to his death.
Given that, it’s difficult to make sense of this news. We don’t know whether or to what extent Duerson suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a condition frequently associated with football players. Hopefully, the answers will emerge.
For more, visit SB Nation’s Chicago Bears blog, Windy City Gridiron.
(Via Pro Football Talk.)
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