Dr. Bennet Omalu, known to the masses as the man that discovered the degenerative brain disease CTE and whose work inspired the movie Concussion, turned some heads this week when discussing former NFL running back and Heisman Trophy winner O.J. Simpson.
Speaking to ABC News, Dr. Omalu said he would be willing to bet his medical license that Simpson suffered from CTE.
“I would bet my medical license on it,” said Omalu. “He was exposed to thousands of blunt force trauma of his brain.
“I think because of our intoxication with football we are in some type of delusional denial. But that is how serious this is.”
Now, Omalu does have a point, but let’s pump the brakesa bit. First off, it’s impossible to diagnose CTE until an individual suffering from it has died. Sure, erratic behavior and memory loss are two symptoms, but now let’s look at the case of Simpson himself.
Simpson enjoyed an 11-year NFL career, playing running back for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers, and then enjoyed a lucrative acting career after he retired. That was all derailed when, in 1994, he was arrested for the murders of his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Though acquitted, he lost a wrongful death civil trial.
Simpson is currently serving jail time in Las Vegas after being charged with kidnapping and armed robbery in 2007 over attempted theft of sports memorabilia he claims belonged to him.
That all being said, though Simpson’s legal troubles have been lengthy and his behavior has been off since his murder trial, for Dr. Omalu to be willing to put his medical license on the line over the fact that Simpson has CTE is a bit much.
If anything, his behavior is more that of someone simply down on his luck rather than repeated blows to the head, the latter of which he has said is not an issue, so Omalu’s words seem just a bit like publicity fishing.
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*Featured Photo (above) credit to USA TODAY Sports
