He was 50. [1], Webster died in 2002 at the age of 50 of a heart attack, and subsequently was the first former NFL player diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). As a neuropathologist, Omalu was especially interested in the brain. [citation needed]. Webster also played his final two years for the Kansas City Chiefs. My dad played 17 years and we did eventually win our pension suit. Hed cut off his sleeves in the freezing cold, zero degrees, to intimidate the other teams, Rooney says with a grin. For males, the leading cause of high school sports concussion is football; for females the leading cause of high school sports concussion is soccer. Leave a memory Light a Candle. The cause of death was a heart attack, the Pittsburgh Steelers said. Ben Roethlisberger tied Webster's record in the 2018 season, and broke it in 2019[9], While, at the time of his retirement, the Steelers were no longer officially retiring jersey numbers, Webster's No. Im not saying in a concussion way. Two Very Different NFLs for Andrew Luck and Amon Gordon, Andrew Lucks retirement, and pain he endured, hit close to home for former Charger, Brain Injury Casts a Dark Cloud Over NFLs 100th Season, New Report Projects Minimum 10% of NFL Players will Develop CTE, Tamarick Vanover chronicles classic story of disposable NFL players, The story of Bill Cesare demonstrates how little the NFL and NFLPA do to take care of former players, The Story of an NFL Wife a Conversation with Cyndy Feasel. In 1997, just before his Hall of Fame induction, his troubled life became public, and he told The Atlanta Journal and Constitution: ''Because of all this publicity over my situation, people treat me like I'm dying or something. Privacy Policy. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), Bear Grylls Reveals His 6 Keys to Staying Fit at Any Age. Have you ever been in a car accident? the doctor asked. They cant go out in public like normal people and stuff like that.. We said that stuffs in the past. ), [pullquote] There was no other explanation for Websters deterioration; the repeated banging of his brain against his skull had damaged the brains nerve cells. Oops, something didn't work. The estate contended that Webster was disabled at the time of his retirement, and was owed $1.142 million in disability payments under the NFL's retirement plan. I remember going to the Steelers locker room. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. Thanks for using Find a Grave, if you have any feedback we would love to hear from you. You cant help but wonder, is it worth it?. He propped up the head and. Jets: Everything you need to know, Ryan Clark thinks Steelers will make the playoffs, Steelers Injury Report: Markus Wheaton out for Week 6 vs. When it was firm enough, Omalu pulled it out and put took a scalpel to the frontal lobe, cutting. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. There is a problem with your email/password. Since then its been great. Save to an Ancestry Tree, a virtual cemetery, your clipboard for pasting or Print. I remember him showing me the autopsy photos and showing me the brain scans. I just thought he was angry at me all the time.. Mercury Morris: The Owners dont want to pay benefits! Witnessing most of Websters story was his son, Garrett. Drag images here or select from your computer for Mike Iron Mike Webster memorial. A lot of guys look back, and they love the game, says Harris. And I don't want their pity. Close this window, and upload the photo(s) again. The book's author. Webster was also one of the first former NFL players to be diagnosed post-mortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Nicknamed "Iron Mike," Webster had struggled in his retirement from football. You are only allowed to leave one flower per day for any given memorial.