Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster was the first NFL player Omalu autopsied. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. It hurt him. We will review the memorials and decide if they should be merged. His marriage broke up. We were picked up in a limousine and all of us just thought that was the coolest thing. He said he was using the drug to treat brain damage caused by repeated head injuries that had led him to behave erratically. In any given season, 10% of all college players and 20% of all high school players sustain brain injuries. Please enter your email and password to sign in. But when he died, I felt this calm come over me. B ennet Omalu, a Nigeria-born neuropathologist, first discovered chronic encephalopathy (CTE) in an NFL player when he saw the debilitating disease in the brain of Mike Webster, the Hall of. Bad investment deals drained his assets and his rising anger and confusion, according to his wife, led to fits of rage. Due to Webster's responsibilities on his family's farm, he did not play football until his junior year. The cause of death was a heart attack, the Pittsburgh Steelers said. One of the individuals who was instrumental in beginning the story was former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Webster through his family. Football had taken a punishing toll on his body. 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. I wasn't in danger. [7] Webster is also perhaps the best known of a long line of All-Pro centers for the Steelers. It has been speculated that Webster's ailments were due to wear and tear sustained over his playing career; some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes" in over 25 years of playing football at the high school, college and professional levels. In Will Smiths movie Concussion, the actor portrays the pathologist Bennet Omalu, who first revealed proof of footballs deleterious effects on players brains and published breakthrough papers in medical journals on the degenerative brain disease he discovered, chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. Mike Powell/Getty Images "Iron Mike" Webster helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls in the 70's. After leaving the game, he suffered depression and dementia, dying in 2002 at the age of 50. Flowers added to the memorial appear on the bottom of the memorial or here on the Flowers tab. I looked again. He didnt want a handout. Webster was also one of the first former NFL players to be diagnosed post-mortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). ''He was so smart, so prepared for everything we would face in a game. He couldnt concentrate, he had difficulty focusing, the conversation was rambling. Krieg adds there was no other explanation for Websters deterioration; the repeated banging of his brain against his skull had damaged the brains nerve cells. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. We went from one extreme of feeling just completely left out, ignored, denied, vilified to having that hope of being part of it. 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. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. He had such kindness in his heart, she recalls. Contact Us | During that time, none of us thought he had this revolutionary condition that was going to change the world. Webster's estate brought a lawsuit in Maryland's U.S. District Court against the National Football League. 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. The Steelers young guard hasnt been great, but he deserves another chance in 2023. boxers, very old people with Alzheimer's disease, Steelers vs. Players with CTE have battled depression, memory loss, and in some cases dementia. We were cut out even more. 10% of all contact sport athletes sustain concussions yearly. This is his story. Find the obituary of Michael Allen Webster (1957 - 2023) from Knoxville, TN. He was the Steelers' offensive captain for nine years. NFL Player Accuses Union Leaders of Bad Faith C.B.A. In its March 2003 issue, Reader's Digest wrote about Webster's shattered life. A man who, despite his anger at his own fate, was nonetheless trying at the end of his life to teach his beloved sport to a football-crazy son. '', See the article in its original context from. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? . Webster had died at 50, but to Omalu, he looked far older. At 6-foot-1, 255 pounds, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was 50. It was Omalus job to measure the damage. Family members linked to this person will appear here. The cause of death was a heart attack, the Pittsburgh Steelers said. Mike would be the first one at the stadium and the last to leave, he was so afraid to fail, recalls Pamela. When People Show Who They Are, Believe Them. Webster is also survived by two sons, Colin of Camp LeJeune, N.C., and Garrett; two daughters, Hillary and Brooke; two grandchildren; his father, William, of Harshaw, Wis.; two brothers, Reid and Joe Webster; and two sisters, Wendy and Jane Webster. ''I have to take care of my dad,'' he said a week ago. Advocacy for Fairness in Sports is a nonprofit dedicated to investigative sports journalism. If you take out the head injuries, Dad was ruled completely disabled from football, Webster explained. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster anchored the Steelers' offensive line during much of their run of four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979 and is considered by many the greatest center in NFL history. Later, he was treated for depression and symptoms of congestive heart failure. He couldnt sleep the night before a game, he was so wound up, says Bill Webster, Mikes father. These 2 Surprising Traits May Predict ALS, New Research Says, Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Up to 86% of athletes that suffer a concussion will experience Post-Traumatic Migraine or some other type of headache pain. Doctor's Catholic Faith Guided His Investigation of NFL Star's Death Dr. Bennet Omalu's determination to learn what caused Mike Webster's premature death has borne fruit, in the discovery. He increasingly lived away from home, sometimes sleeping in his car. The patient on the table was Mike Webster, a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. 5% of soccer players sustain brain injuries as a result of their sport. The head is involved in more baseball injuries than any other body part. based on information from your browser. I had to make sure the slides were Mike Websters slides, Omalu told FRONTLINE. He preferred it if people didnt recognize him., The last year of Websters life brought new woes: His divorce became final, his health worsened and his finances collapsed again. My dad was just shocked because he did so much for these people. Drag images here or select from your computer for Mike Iron Mike Webster memorial. The understanding of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy or CTE as the outcome of multiple concussive brain injuries began in 2002 when Bennet Omalu, MD conducted an autopsy of Mike Webster's brain. English He stopped hanging out with the family as much. '', During that same period, Dr. Fred Jay Krieg, a clinical psychologist, said Webster had ''the football version of punch drunk. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer) as we strive to provide site experiences for browsers that support new web standards and security practices. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? [dropcap]B[/dropcap]y the time Webster entered the Hall of Fame in July 1997, he had become a recluse, in agony from herniated discs and hand injuries, impoverished and angry at his fate. As Omalu recalls in the following clip from League of Denial: Inside the NFLs Concussion Crisis, suddenly the criticism was no longer about his research. The NFL appealed the ruling. But Webster's transition to post-football life was filled with setbacks. In high school, Webster moved in with his dad, and went out for wrestling, then football. You can donate securely and anonymously if desired with a major credit card by clicking here: Advocacy for Fairness in Sports is appreciative of recognition shown by these outstanding publications, TV and audio media. In its March 2003 issue, Readers Digest wrote about Websters shattered life. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Im mad about whats happened to you, about the life you kids missed out on. Brain injuries cause more deaths than any other sports injury. Try again later. Since then its been great. To view a photo in more detail or edit captions for photos you added, click the photo to open the photo viewer. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. For years prior to his death, he battled symptoms resembling depression, dementia, and amnesia. Webster was a pivotal player on the standout Steeler teams that captured four Super Bowl championships in the 1970's. Webster was examined by Allegheny Medical coroner's office pathologist Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born discoverer of what is fairly considered one of the most important issues in sports today; CTE. He earned $16,000 in his first season, $400,000 in his last. That changed in 2002 when Omalu was assigned to perform an autopsy on the legendary Steelers center. The work of helping former NFL players with head injuries is ongoing, just as the concussion litigation will continue for years yet. According to The Atlantic, his post-retirement years were spent dealing with behavior that got increasingly erratic. Derek Helling is a journalist out of Chicago. In the aftermath of the settlement, Webster found that the franchise his father gave his life to enrich, the Steelers, treated him with indifference if not contempt. Webster is seen as an example of the difficulties American football players suffer when their careers are over. This account already exists, but the email address still needs to be confirmed. [2][20] Omalu's findings were largely ignored by the NFL until Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was diagnosed with CTE shortly after his death at age 26 in 2009. His toughness made him a winner: He was voted onto the All-Pro team six straight years, won four Super Bowl rings, and joined the greatest players ever in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. High school athletes who sustain a concussion are three times more likely to sustain a second concussion. Michael Lewis Webster (March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American football player who played center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. When he went to Kansas City, thats when things started to change. That changed in 2002 when Omalu was assigned to perform an autopsy on the legendary. Oops, something didn't work. They have their competitive streaks. Pittsburgh steeler center mike Webster was the first nfl player omalu autopsied. Just acknowledge it and say, how can we prevent this stuff from happening again? [2], It has been speculated that Webster's ailments were due to wear and tear sustained over his playing career; some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes" in over 25 years of playing football at the high school, college and professional levels. I think thats how he felt. His story, however, isnt just a cautionary tale about gridiron injuries. 2,303 Mike Webster Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Images Creative Editorial Video Creative Editorial FILTERS CREATIVE EDITORIAL VIDEO 2,303 Mike Webster Premium High Res Photos Browse 2,303 mike webster stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Omalu autopsied would face in a limousine and all of us just thought that was the coolest thing dedicated investigative... 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