One in four dead football players had CTE. Why are we still flying blind?

A fall chill is in the air, football season is underway, and the Ice Bucket Challenge — a throwback to 2014 — is back in the news. Former NFL star Chris Johnson, who recently revealed that he is living with ALS at just 39, is helping revive the viral phenomenon that once filled social-media feeds with celebrities, athletes, and millions of ordinary fans dumping buckets of freezing water over their heads.

One in four dead football players had CTE. Why are we still flying blind?

TL;DR

  • Former NFL star Chris Johnson, who has ALS, is helping to revive the Ice Bucket Challenge.
  • The Ice Bucket Challenge was a viral phenomenon in 2014.
  • A recent study found that at least 25% of former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
  • The actual prevalence of CTE may be higher, as only a small fraction of former players undergo postmortem examinations.

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