CTE diagnosed in brain of former New York Giants S Tyler Sash
Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that is caused by repeated head trauma, has been diagnosed in the brain of former New York Giants safety Tyler Sash, reports Bill Pennington of The New York Times.
Sash’s family was notified of the finding by Boston University and the Concussion Legacy Foundation last week.
Sash died in September at the age of 27 after an accidental overdose of pain medications.
Sash was selected in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Giants. He played in a total of 23 games for the team before he was cut in 2013. At the time, he had been diagnosed with at least five concussions.
Pennington reports that Sash displayed troubling signs when he returned home to Iowa, including memory loss, confusion, and fits of temper.
In May 2014 Sash was arrested after leading police on four-block chase on a motorized scooter before running into a wooded area. He later pleaded guilty to public intoxication
Following his death, Sash’s brain was donated to test for CTE. The disease can only be tested for posthumously and has been found in several former NFL players.
- Xandria James
