I had some things to think through. High school athletes recovery times for a sports concussion are longer than college athletes recovery times. After Mikes death, when the family was approached by Dr. Bennett Omalu to help with his research on CTE and athletes, it was the beginning of a new chapter for the Webster family as well. The work of helping former NFL players with head injuries is ongoing, just as the concussion litigation will continue for years yet. Webster also stated that in his playing days he had tried anabolic steroids -- illegal body-building substances that can cause health problems -- but he maintained they were not responsible for his condition. His youngest child, Hillary, who was living in Wisconsin with her mother, says that in recent years, My father called me every night. But his two sons, who lived with him at different times, saw a more tortured side. [1], Webster died in 2002 at the age of 50 of a heart attack, and subsequently was the first former NFL player diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Michael Lewis Webster (March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American football player who played center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Leave a memory Light a Candle. Right now we have a very good relationship with the Steelers, Webster said.Its the best relationship weve had since my dad played for them. 10% of all contact sport athletes sustain concussions yearly. As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. Use the links under See more to quickly search for other people with the same last name in the same cemetery, city, county, etc. Webster is now happy to share that his familys relationship with the Steelers has improved, however, his opinion of the leagues handling of the concussion settlement hasnt similarly improved. Site Map | He played in 4 superbowls, All-pro 7 years, All AFC 5 times, and 9 pro-bowls. We werent included in things, whether it was part of an NFL toughest players of all time or greatest linemen or greatest Steelers. That was definitely hard but it was good too because I still feel this to this day my dad would have been fascinated by it and he would have been honored to be part of Dr. Omalus research.. At 6-foot-1, 255 pounds, he was drafted in the fifth round of the 1974 NFL Draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers. The family of late football great Mike Webster has been shut out of settlement money. But I do promise you this: No matter what happens, I will answer the charges. A system error has occurred. These 2 Surprising Traits May Predict ALS, New Research Says, Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information. In October 1999, Webster was awarded an NFL disability for traumatic brain injury. Make sure that the file is a photo. 1.5 million Americans suffer from traumatic brain injuries. My dad said he used to sit next to Upshaw when they went to the Pro Bowl and he considered him a friend. ''He was so smart, so prepared for everything we would face in a game. In football, brain injuries account for 65% to 95% of all fatalities. Webster was a pivotal player on the standout Steeler teams that captured four Super Bowl championships in the 1970's. Biography He was born on March 18, 1952, in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, USA, as Michael Lewis Webster. Were definitely part of that. PITTSBURGH -- Mike Webster's durability and toughness made him a four-time Super Bowl champion and one of the NFL's best linemen ever . I think thats how he felt. Omalus conclusions confused the medical literature, they argued. On April 26, 2005, a federal judge ruled that the NFL benefits plan owed Webster's estate $1.18 million in benefits. All these guys were talking at the funeral about maybe they should get checkups, says Franco Harris. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, class of 1997. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate, or jump to a slide with the slide dots. ESPN investigative reporter Mark Fainaru-Wada and his brother, Steve Fainaru, have written "League of Denial," and recently spoke to NPR about it and the league's efforts to deny or at least continue to stall on confirming a link between repeated head injuries and CTE. Are you sure that you want to report this flower to administrators as offensive or abusive? Everybody noticed that with Dad. Thanks for your help! Those proteins are seen through a microscope as red specs. He receives funding from various academic and research organisations. In 1997, just before his Hall of Fame induction, his troubled life became public, and he told The Atlanta Journal and Constitution: ''Because of all this publicity over my situation, people treat me like I'm dying or something. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. It was kind of like, whats the point of having something if its basically impossible for people to get a pension? A man who, despite his anger at his own fate, was nonetheless trying at the end of his life to teach his beloved sport to a football-crazy son. Share this memorial using social media sites or email. Traumatic brain injuries cause 1.5 times more deaths than AIDS. Pittsburgh steeler center mike Webster was the first nfl player omalu autopsied. Webster had several million dollars in assets when he retired, so it shocked Pamela when their Victorian house was foreclosed 18 months after he left football. Associated Press. Some of them were subtle. A couple of months later, they got ahold of the actual paperwork. It's a sobering look at the state of the league in wake of its $765 million settlement with over 4,000 former players who brought a class action suit against the NFL over these issues. That changed in 2002 when Omalu was assigned to perform an autopsy on the legendary Steelers center. (new Image()).src = 'https://capi.connatix.com/tr/si?token=f6da93d0-6850-44b9-a6b9-f62dcef33270&cid=877050e7-52c9-4c33-a20b-d8301a08f96d'; cnxps.cmd.push(function () { cnxps({ playerId: "f6da93d0-6850-44b9-a6b9-f62dcef33270" }).render("a62a84b67add450880a65f158730a944"); }); The years of being butted repeatedly on the head took a brutal toll. [dropcap]M[/dropcap]ike Webster grew up on a potato farm near Tomahawk, Wisconsin, where rooting for the Green Bay Packers was a religion. ''You get more and more demented. Webster also played his final two years for the Kansas City Chiefs. He preferred it if people didnt recognize him., The last year of Websters life brought new woes: His divorce became final, his health worsened and his finances collapsed again. For males, the leading cause of high school sports concussion is football; for females the leading cause of high school sports concussion is soccer. After his retirement, Webster suffered from amnesia, dementia, depression, and bone and. Dr. Omalu was very responsible and he did things right away. Failed to remove flower. Meanwhile, Mike began drifting back to Pittsburgh, spending more and more time there. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Ive been in 350,000 car accidents, Mike replied. Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974, he played for 17 seasons, 15 with the Steelers. Since then we have had some positive instances, in the past couple of years, but overall its been the same thing, over and over again is that instead of people being like this is great, we know about this now so lets fix it, its been more of that asshole ruined things for everybody, you know, and thats, you know, that continues to be the hardest part.. There's a broad definition of what living out of your car is. With the Steelers winning Super Bowl IX, X, XIII, and XIV, Webster and Terry Bradshaw form one of the best-known centerquarterback pairs in history. In a rare move, they demanded a retraction. When we heard about it, it sounded wonderful. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. Michael Lewis Webster (March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American professional football player who was a center in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. One of the individuals who was instrumental in beginning the story was former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Webster through his family. Have you ever been in a car accident? the doctor asked. While at the University of Wisconsin on a football scholarship, he met his future wife, Pamela, who worked in the athletic department ticket office. Signs and symptoms of concussion include headache, nausea, fatigue, confusion or memory problems, sleep disturbances, or mood changes. They have their quirks, they have their workout routines. Websters finances remain a muddle, but from conversations with his family and lawyers, it appears he poured most of his savings into investments that went bad. Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, USA. The article is printed in its entirety below. The following years were rough for Websters family as his fathers cognitive decline affected his ability to provide for the family. I cant do that again. He got his bell rung all the time, just like the rest of us, says former teammate Rocky Bleier. based on information from your browser. [citation needed], At the time of his death, Webster was addicted to prescription medication. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Translation on Find a Grave is an ongoing project. Im not saying in a concussion way. It hurt him. Two years ago, Webster's son Garrett moved from Wisconsin to live with him in Pittsburgh. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster anchored the Steelers' offensive line during much of their run of four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979 and is considered by some as the best center in NFL history. When he needed help, during the whole time when we were suing for that original pension, the NFLPA, the people who were supposed to represent the players, that guys like Dad paid into their pension to support, never reached out, never said, hey Mike, what can we do for you?, If anything the union was in the way of my dad getting his pensions, Webster added. The cause of death was a heart attack, the Pittsburgh Steelers said. When Webster was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he chose Bradshaw to present him. He was an undersized 225-pound center at the University of Wisconsin who lingered in the N.F.L. That same year, his lawyer, Robert Fitzsimmons, finally won Webster a $115,000 yearly payment from the NFL for a football-related disability. Michael L. Webster was born March 18, 1952, in Tomahawk, Wis., and was reared on a 640-acre potato farm. He noted that Mike Webster's body was sixty-nine inches long and weighed 244 pounds. He died at age 50, possibly from brain injuries sustained from his work. Mike was a guy you could always count on., [pullquote] Year after year, Webster slammed into much bigger players, their helmets crashing into his like battering rams, their forearms pounding his head. This is his story. He lived out of his pickup truck or in train stations between Wisconsin and Pittsburgh, even though his friends and former teammates offered to rent apartments for him. or don't show this againI am good at figuring things out. He earned $16,000 in his first season, $400,000 in his last. He didn't watch the games, he didn't know the teams, and he certainly didn't know the name Mike Webster. Webster grew up on a 640-acre potato farm near Harshaw, Wisconsin. Pamela put up with it for a while, but the couple separated for the first time around 1992 (she finally divorced a reluctant Webster last March after years of living apart). Try again. [6]This ended in 1986 when he dislocated his elbow, causing him to sit out for four games. ''You only fail if you don't finish the game,'' he said. The patient on the table was Mike Webster, a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Odds & lines subject to change. Are you sure that you want to delete this photo? [2][20] Omalu's findings were largely ignored by the NFL until Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was diagnosed with CTE shortly after his death at age 26 in 2009. Rather, a league doctor would tell him, the trouble was in the implications for football. [19] Webster was the first former NFL player diagnosed with CTE. We said that stuffs in the past. Leah Gray does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding . Even on vacations, hed pack the football sled and push it across a field., Websters former teammates remember him as a quiet, determined man who seemed blessed with a photographic memoryand who studied the game as if every play depended on him. This from a man who 72 hours earlier didnt know if hed ever walk again. The son, at 6 feet 9 inches and 340 pounds, is a high school senior and an offensive lineman on his football team. His marriage broke up. Hall of Fame offensive lineman Mike Webster was the first former NFL player to be diagnosed with CTE. As a child, Webster idolized Green Bay Packers fullback Jim Taylor. Send Flowers. A lot of guys look back, and they love the game, says Harris. He tried to stay low-key, says Moon Area High Schools football coach Mark Capuano. Limiting the medical jargon, when a brain suffers a direct injury, proteins form around the affected area. Between 2001-2005, children and youth ages 5-18 years old accounted for 2.4 million sports-related emergency department (ED) visits annually, of which 6% (135,000) involved a concussion. It was too late to undo the harm, however, just as it was too late to dissuade his son Garrett from playing. The Hall of Famers sheer fortitude is celebrated in the caption: Webster played the most seasons (15) and games (220) in Steeler history., But in Websters rented town house in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, his family has kept a much sadder tributea sheaf of Websters scribbled notes torn from a legal pad, page after page of heartbreaking gibberish, the legacy of a brain injury sustained while playing center for the Steelers. Its the number one cause of death in children and young adults. Instead, it further compounded the struggles. Verify and try again. Use Escape keyboard button or the Close button to close the carousel. In September 1999, Webster pleaded no contest to the forgery charges and was placed on probation for five years. Due to Webster's responsibilities on his family's farm, he did not play football until his junior year. His struggle with mental illness, as a result of CTE, at the end of his life was depicted in the 2015 film Concussion. 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