It’s quite possible that there’s no more tragic story in the history of professional football than that of Aaron Hernandez.
Back in 2015, Hernandez was convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the death of Odin Lloyd.
In April, the world was shocked by the news that Hernandez had taken his own life inside his cell at the Souza-Barankowski Correctional Facility in Lancaster, Massachusetts.
Today, Hernandez’s autopsy results have been made public, and they confirm what many who followed his case closely have long suspected.
Doctors have revealed to The New York Times that the 27-year-old was suffering from CTE, a brain injury that’s shockingly common to football players.
According to the Times a team of neurologists stated that their examination revealed “the most severe case they had ever seen in someone of Aaron’s age.”
Sadly, the news does not come as much of a surprise.
CTE has had devastating effects on innumerable football players, both professional and otherwise.
The condition has been linked to the suicides of Junior Seau and Tyler Sash, the decline of late New York Giants legend Frank Gifford, and countless other NFL stars.
It seems impossible that we’ll ever understand the full impact of the disease on America’s best-loved sport.
But today, we know a little bit more about the devastating impact it’s had on Aaron Hernandez, Odin Lloyd, and their loved ones.
Now, Hernandez’s fiancee, Shayanna Jenkins, is suing the NFL and the New England Patriots as a result of the diagnosis.
Lawyers for Jenkins claim “Aaron had stage 3 CTE usually seen in players with a median age of death of 67 years.”
The suit filed this afternoon claims that the Patriots “were fully aware of the damage that could be inflicted from repetitive impact injuries and failed to disclose, treat or protect him from the dangers of such damage.”
Attorneys say that Jenkins, who has a 4-year-old daughter with Hernandez, is seeking “redress for the loss of parental consortium she has experienced based on the negligent conduct of Defendants that deprived her of the companionship and society of her father, Aaron Hernandez.”
The suit concludes by stating bluntly:
“On April 19, 2017, Aaron succumbed to the symptoms of CTE and committed suicide.”
We’ll have further updates on this developing story as more information becomes available.
