Irv Cross.Photo: George Rose/Getty
Irv Cross is the latest football player to be diagnosed withChronic Traumatic Encephalopathy(CTE).
The former professional football cornerback and celebrated pioneer sportscaster had been diagnosed with mild cognitive dementia beforehis death at age 81in March 2021, causing him to express an early interest in donating his brain to Boston University for research.
Two years later, Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University’s CTE Center, said in a statement on Tuesday that the decorated athlete’s autopsy showed Cross had the most severe stage of the rare and progressive degenerative brain condition.
George Gojkovich/Getty
His wife Liz Crosstold CNNhe showed many of these symptoms before his death.
“For the last five years of his life, Irv stopped being able to do the things he loved, and his problems with his balance, memory, and delusions were very embarrassing and depressing for him,” she shared with the outlet. “His life became a constant struggle, and he suspected it was from CTE. Now that we know for sure, Irv would want others to learn about the disease and the risks of playing tackle football, especially for children.”
Being that he played football for 17 years and had a longstanding NFL careerwith the Philadelphia Eagles, his diagnosis was not surprising to McKee.
“I do think there’s more education about the risks of football and I do think there’s more awareness of concussion management but I still think we’re way, way behind where we should be,” Dr. McKeeshared with the Associated Press.
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Later in his career, Cross was Idaho State University’s athletic director (from 1996 to 1998) and director of athletics at Malcaster College (from 1999 to 2005). He also became the first Black person to receive the annual Pro Football Hall of Fame’sPete Rozelle Radio-Television Award in 2009.
source: people.com
