POSTMORTEM

Junior Seau Had Brain Disease

Consistent with “repetitive head injuries.”

Former NFL player Junior Seau was suffering from a degenerative brain disease when he committed suicide last May, according to researchers at the National Institutes of Health. The NIH study found that Seau’s brain had abnormalities consistent with chronic traumatic encephalopathy and researchers found that the damage to the brain was similar to autopsies of people “with exposure to repetitive head injuries.” Seau’s family requested the analysis after his suicide, and family members said that he had exhibited odd behavior before his death. His son said, “I don’t think any of us were aware of the side effects that could be going on with head trauma when he passed away.”