Month: June 2018

The news that Tyler Hilinski, the Washington State quarterback who shot himself with a rifle in January and left a suicide note, was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy this week left researchers again warning about the dangers of tackle football.

Hilinski, 21, was diagnosed with Stage 1 CTE, the earliest stage of the disease that has been linked to the repeated head trauma common in football and other contact sports. His parents told Sports Illustrated that doctors from the Mayo Clinic said his brain as if it had come from a much older man.

“Did football kill Tyler? … I don’t think so,” his mother, Kym Hilinski, told SI. “Did he get CTE from football? Probably. Was that the only thing that attributed to his death? I don’t know.”

Here are some other questions and answers about the disease, and Hilinski’s story:

WHAT IS CTE?

A degenerative brain disease known to cause violent moods, depression, dementia and other cognitive difficulties, CTE has been linked to the repeated hits to the head endured by football and hockey players, boxers and members of the military.

Researchers have found evidence that the severity of the symptoms is increased for those who sustained concussive or sub-concussive blows at a younger age.

HOW MANY CONCUSSIONS DID HILINSKI HAVE?

Hilinski’s parents told SI of that a hit he took as a college freshman that “rocked him,” and they noted changes in his behavior after it. But studies have shown that even those who remember just a few concussions probably sustained many more that were undiagnosed — often dismissed as “stingers” or “getting your bell rung.”

Although quarterbacks can take fewer blows to the head than players in the open field, like running backs or receivers, many QBs were among those diagnosed with CTE in the most complete study of the disease in former football players . (Hilinski also played receiver, and SI reported that as a linebacker in youth football he was known as a hard hitter.)

Researchers have also found a link between CTE and hits not hard enough to cause a concussion, like those sustained by offensive linemen, or soccer players from heading the ball.

IS CTE COMMON IN PEOPLE THIS YOUNG?

It’s not common, but there’s a big caveat: CTE can only be diagnosed in an autopsy, so young brains are less frequently studied. Still, it has been found in people who died as young as 17, and many victims were in their early 20s.

Kyle Raarup, a Minnesota youth hockey and football player who killed himself at the age of 20, gave up sports at 14 because of post-concussion syndrome. He was found to have Stage 1 CTE.

DID CTE CAUSE HILINSKI’S SUICIDE?

It’s not possible to blame CTE for any specific death; nor is it possible to link any blow to the head to an diagnosis of CTE. Researchers are still trying to figure out why some people get CTE while others don’t; in general, the brains that are studied have been donated by those who saw disconcerting behavior.

According to Chris Nowinski, a founder of the Concussion Legacy Foundation, several dozen of the cases studied came to the brain bank as the result of suicide. “There’s a well-known link between even a single concussion and the increased risk of suicide,” he said.

WHAT CAN BE DONE?

Citing evidence that brain damage is more severe for those who began playing contact sports earlier, researchers have called for a ban on tackle football for children younger than 14. Five states — New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois and California — are discussing such legislation.

Some colleges are moving away from hitting in practice; the Ivy League has banned it entirely. The NFL has also taken steps to limit contact outside of the games, while adopting other rules to minimize the danger of concussions like de-emphasizing kickoff returns.

Many sports have instituted concussion protocols designed to keep players who may have sustained a traumatic brain injury from returning to the game. Educational initiatives directed at players and coaches attempt to show the dangers of playing after a concussion.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee athletic director Phillip Fulmer praised John Ward for bringing “life and feeling to our living rooms” during a tribute ceremony for the longtime Volunteers football and men’s basketball broadcaster.

Ward died June 20 in Knoxville at the age of 88. He served as the radio voice of Tennessee football and men’s basketball for over three decades before retiring.

The Wednesday night ceremony at Thompson-Boling Arena featured some of Ward’s most famous calls interspersed with tributes from former colleagues, players and coaches.

Fulmer recalled being a 16-year-old who drove “to find the highest hill in Winchester, Tennessee,” for the chance to listen to Ward’s broadcasts.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam sent a letter in which he wrote that “growing up in Knoxville as a UT sports fan, it is John Ward’s voice that is the backdrop to all those memories.” Former Tennessee and NFL star quarterback Peyton Manning sent a videotaped message in which he called Ward “an incredible human being” and “one of the great Tennessee Volunteers of all time.”

Ward became Tennessee’s radio play-by-play voice for men’s basketball in 1965 and started filling the same role for football three years later. He retired after the 1998-99 school year.

He started every game by saying “It’s Football Time In Tennessee” and would say “Give Him Six” after Tennessee touchdowns.

Ward was named Tennessee sportscaster of the year 28 times. He was inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.

FAIR LAWN, N.J. (AP) — The brother of New York Giants cornerback Janoris Jenkins has been arrested and charged with manslaughter in the death of a 25-year-man whose body was found in the NFL player’s New Jersey home.

The Bergen County prosecutor’s office says 34-year-old William H. Jenkins, of Fair Lawn, was arrested Tuesday and charged Wednesday with aggravated manslaughter in the death of Roosevelt Rene, whose body was discovered Tuesday.

Acting Prosecutor Dennis Calo said Wednesday that William Jenkins is in custody in the Ontario County Jail in New York State. The investigation is ongoing.

Janoris Jenkins’ home is about 10 miles (16 kilometers) north of MetLife Stadium. Property records show Janoris Jenkins has lived at the house the last two years.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — The Indianapolis Colts have signed second-round draft pick Braden Smith.

The team announced the signing of the guard from Auburn on Wednesday.

The Colts selected the 6-foot-6, 315-pound Smith with the 37th overall pick in the draft. He started 41 consecutive games for Auburn and won the 2017 Jacobs Blocking Trophy as the Southeastern Conference’s top blocker.

Smith primarily played right guard at Auburn.

The Colts have signed 10 of their 11 draft picks. The Colts’ lone unsigned draft choice is second-round selection Darius Leonard, an outside linebacker from South Carolina State taken with the 36th overall pick.

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NEW YORK (AP) — NBC Sports has hired former NFL official Terry McAulay as an on-air rules analyst for its coverage of “Sunday Night Football” and Notre Dame football.

McAulay retired recently after 20 years as an on-field NFL game official, and a college football officiating administrator for the past 10 seasons.

McAulay will be onsite at “Sunday Night Football” and Notre Dame games, moving between the broadcast booth during the game and the studio set for pregame and halftime shows.

McAulay was a referee for 17 of his 20 NFL seasons (1998-2017), previously serving as a side judge and a field judge. He led the officiating crew in three Super Bowls and worked 15 additional NFL playoff games.

Also, he was the American Athletic Conference’s coordinator of football officiating since 2008 (the Big East Conference from 2008-13). As an on-field college official, McAulay was the referee for the Nebraska-Tennessee national championship game in January 1998.

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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Vikings have agreed to terms on a contract extension with defensive end Danielle (DUH’-neel) Hunter, securing another core player before he can reach free agency.

The Vikings announced the deal on Wednesday. Terms weren’t disclosed.

Hunter has 25½ sacks in three seasons, after being drafted in the third round in 2015 out of LSU. Still only 23 years old, Hunter was a top priority to retain at a premium position. Fellow defensive end Everson Griffen is 30, and primary backup Brian Robison is 35.

The Vikings extended middle linebacker Eric Kendricks earlier this offseason. Outside linebacker Anthony Barr and wide receiver Stefon Diggs are their other two standouts on expiring contracts, with space under the salary cap dwindling.

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In four seasons of the College Football Playoff a total of nine programs have filled the 16 semifinal spots. Which teams could be next to crack into the football’s final four?

AP voter Matt Brown, an editor and writer for The Athletics’ All-American vertical, says Michigan or Penn State are among the most likely to be a first-time playoff participant. AP college football writer Ralph Russo suggests another Big Ten team or maybe Miami.

Brown joins Russo for the “AP Top 25 College Football Podcast” where they talk the history of people complaining about too many college football bowls, the future of the playoff and potential breakout teams for 2018. Could Boston College be this season’s North Carolina State in the Atlantic Coast Conference? What about Kansas State in the Big 12?

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