Concussions: The Hard Knock Truth
Follow CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter
MIAMI (CBSMiami) – For decades the NFL has entertained America. Now its players are turning on the league, accusing them of keeping deadly secrets.
It has to do with all those tackles where players slammed their heads. They claim concussions are far more dangerous than was let on. In this story, a former player is telling all because he believes he's watching his mind slip away.
On the field, Detroit Lion Tracy Scroggins was a force.
The 6' 3" 275 pound defensive end made players pay with every snap.
By all accounts he had a successful career as a professional football player. And yet he pauses when asked if he had to do it all over again.
"Yes and no. That's a tough question," Scroggins said after giving it some thought.
It's a tough question, because while he had 10 years in the spotlight, in retirement the last 15 years have been in darkness.
"I have severe insomnia. I can go three, four nights without sleeping. My brain just won't shut down. I've become more of a recluse. I'm less sociable than what I was," Scroggins said.
He said he disappears into his home for days, sometimes weeks. He also said he suffers from depression and struggles to do the simplest of tasks.
His fiancée feels his struggle daily.
Michelle Burke explained, "I feel bad for him. I never express that to him because being a man that is so strong and competitive... there is a lot of things that he want to do and he might get mad when I say it.... but he can't."
Scroggins has no doubt he's losing his mind all because of massive hits he took on the field.
"Throughout my career I suffered, I sustained at least four, five concussions. Four to five concussions that were recorded, that were on record," he said.
He claims many more happened during practice that were never documented.
Over the last few years the NFL has been grilled on the impact of concussions.
A medical examiner discovered something called chronic traumatic encephalopathy, also known as CTE.
The discovery was recently made famous by the recent Will Smith movie "Concussion."
Essentially, NFL players with a history of concussions are being linked to their brains turning to mush in retirement.
The NFL recently admitted in Congress the link is real.
Illinois Representative Jan Schakowsky asked Jeff Miller, the NFL's Executive Vice President of Player Health and Safety, "Do you believe there is a link between football and degenerative diseases like CTE?"
"The answer to that question is most certainly yes." Miller replied.
Last year the NFL agreed to pay $1 billion in a settlement with the league's players.
Dr. Tim Howard argues the agreement isn't worth the paper it's written on.
"The current settlement makes sure that no player ever gets paid for CTE. Even though the settlement says we pay $4 million if you die from CTE, they don't tell you, you had to die by April 22, 2015," Howard said.
For example, retired Oakland quarterback Kenny Stabler died last summer. Howard explained they "opened his brain up, sawed it up. Determined he had stage 3 CTE, and what does the settlement do for him and his family? Zero. Nothing."
Rose Stabler, Stabler's widow, called it "ridiculous." She's now suing the league.
Howard is representing her and many players like Scroggins who signed the settlement with the NFL.
"The current settlement is not sufficient for him. Does not cover CTE. And we are going to make sure that all players including Tracy that get recovery for CTE, not just for damage to their brain," Howard said.
The NFL issued a statement in response to our story, saying in part, "Mr. Scroggins is a member of the settlement class and did not choose to opt out. He is eligible to pursue the benefits provided under the settlement agreement, but may not pursue any action in court, either on his own behalf or on behalf of other former players, more than 99 percent of whom have accepted the settlement."
Scroggins said he didn't realize what he was giving up.
"There are players out there that are really suffering. That are in really bad condition. They really need. We really need help. I think the NFL needs to step up to the plate," he said.
A judge recently ruled that the NFL settlement should stand – calling it not perfect, but needed.
Scroggins attorney said he plans to take this case to the Supreme Court.
One thing to note, when the NFL settled their concussion lawsuit, CTE could only be diagnosed in an autopsy. But science is quickly evolving. In February, CTE was discovered in living players using pet scans.
