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A18 SPORTS
Friday 22 September 2017

Aaron Hernandez had severe CTE; daughter sues NFL, Pats

By JIMMY GOLEN “We’re told it was the most has been found in former
AP Sports Writer severe case they had ever members of the military ,
BOSTON (AP) — Former seen for someone of Aar- football players and box-
New England Patriots star on’s age,” attorney Jose ers and others who have
Aaron Hernandez had a Baez said. been subjected to repeat-
severe case of the de- Hernandez killed himself ed head trauma. A recent
generative brain disease in April in the prison cell study found signs of the
chronic traumatic enceph- where he was serving a life- disease in 110 of 111 NFL
alopathy, his lawyer said on without-parole sentence players whose brains were
Thursday in announcing a for murder. Baez said Her- inspected.
lawsuit against the NFL and nandez had shown signs The lawsuit filed in U.S. Dis-
the team for hiding the true of memory loss, impulsivity trict Court claimed that
dangers of the sport. and aggression that could the league and Patriots
Dr. Ann McKee, the direc- be attributed to CTE. failed to protect their play-
tor of the CTE Center at “When hindsight is 20-20, ers’ safety, leading to the
Boston University, said Her- you look back and there disease that deprived
nandez had Stage 3 (out are things you might have Hernandez’s 4-year-old
In this April 1, 2015 file photo, former New England Patriots NFL of 4) of the disease, which noticed,” he said. “But you daughter, Avielle, of her fa-
football player Aaron Hernandez is led into the courtroom at
Bristol County Superior Court in Fall River, Mass., for his murder can cause violent mood don’t know.” ther’s companionship.
trial in the 2013 killing of Odin Lloyd. swings, depression and oth- CTE, which can only be
Associated Press er cognitive disorders. diagnosed in an autopsy, Continued on Page 21