It’s like a bolt out of the blue, literally. Yesterday, Kathie Lee Gifford revealed that her late great husband, former NFL superstar Frank Gifford, suffered from CTE– Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. This is caused by injuries to the brain Gifford no doubt sustained on the football field.
The timing could not be more propitious for Sony Pictures and Will Smith. They’re releasing “Concussion” on Christmas Day, with Will playing Dr. Bennet Omalu, the man who connected CTE to all the suffering that’s occurred among NFL players from head injuries.
Gifford sustained a famous head injury in a Giants-Eagles game in 1960. He was completely knocked out, and was hospitalized, but eventually returned and played three more seasons. Gifford would be the biggest name yet attached to the Concussion debate in NFL– and should become a rallying point for football fans to see Peter Landesman’s excellent film.
Those of who knew Frank Gifford socially knew he was suffering from something but were too afraid to ask. Luckily, Kathie Lee was smart enough to send his brain to pathologists for examination. (Not only that, she may be able to sue for millions eventually.) The Giffords have issued this statement:
After losing our beloved husband and father, Frank Gifford, we as a family made the difficult decision to have his brain studied in hopes of contributing to the advancement of medical research concerning the link between football and traumatic brain injury.
While Frank passed away from natural causes this past August at the age of 84, our suspicions that he was suffering from the debilitating effects of head trauma were confirmed when a team of pathologists recently diagnosed his condition as that of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) — a progressive degenerative brain disease.
We decided to disclose our loved one’s condition to honor Frank’s legacy of promoting player safety dating back to his involvement in the formation of the NFL Players Association in the 1950s. His entire adult life Frank was a champion for others, but especially for those without the means or platform to have their voices heard. He was a man who loved the National Football League until the day he passed, and one who recognized that it was — and will continue to be — the players who elevated this sport to its singular stature in American society.
During the last years of his life Frank dedicated himself to understanding the recent revelations concerning the connection between repetitive head trauma and its associated cognitive and behavioral symptoms — which he experienced firsthand. We miss him every day, now more than ever, but find comfort in knowing that by disclosing his condition we might contribute positively to the ongoing conversation that needs to be had; that he might be an inspiration for others suffering with this disease that needs to be addressed in the present; and that we might be a small part of the solution to an urgent problem concerning anyone involved with football, at any level.
The Gifford family will continue to support the National Football League and its recent on-field rule changes and procedures to make the game Frank loved so dearly — and the players he advocated so tirelessly for — as safe as possible.
