One of the most uncomfortable truths in NFL history is the poor handling of players with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) from the team owners. There have been many cases over the decades of players displaying erratic behavior that has led to their deaths, suicide and even violent outbursts that has affected many families. We even have a movie starring Will Smith in which he plays Doctor Bennet Omalu, who is the leading pioneer in the fight to uncover this uncomfortable truth.
A $1 billion settlement between the league and former players was reached after a 2020 lawsuit became a reality. However, there was another uncomfortable truth that was finally addressed on Friday. It’s been two years after the former players sued the league and black retirees were not included in the settlement due to a shameful racial bias against them.
A historic day for black NFL retirees
Newly approved payouts were announced this Friday with a major difference that also supports hundreds of black NFL former players who suffer the long-term affects of CTE. This is a major step forward in a sport that has been historically racist towards athletes of different colored-skin. But black players are the ones who have been desinfranchised the most when they are the ones who have made the most history in the league.
A total of 646 tests were conducted to black men, nearly half of those test have been rescored and now qualify for these dementia awards. The number of athletes who have early to moderate dementia are 61 of them, many of them top average awards of $600,000.
About 250 of them have a milder case of dementia and will receive $35,000 in enhanced medical testing and treatment. When you look at the number of black players who are active and retired, understanding why there was an evident racial bias becomes clear.
Around 70% of still active players in the NFL are black and 60% of retirees are also black. Former Washington player Ken Jenkins was present in representation of all those black NFL retirees along with his wife in this historic moment.
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