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Pro Football Hall of Famer and Super Bowl champion Steve McMichael, who died last year at age 67 after a five-year battle with ALS, was posthumously diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, better known as CTE.
The Concussion & CTE Foundation announced that McMichael was diagnosed with stage 3 CTE. CTE can only be diagnosed after death.
McMichael revealed he suffered from ALS in 2021 and committed to studying his brain after his death, according to Chris Nowinski, co-founder and CEO of the Concussion & CTE Foundation.
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Steve McMichael of the Chicago Bears plays during a game against the Dallas Cowboys in Chicago, Illinois on December 29, 1991. The Cowboys defeated the Bears 17-13. (Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
“Too many NFL players develop ALS during their lives and are diagnosed with CTE after death,” his wife, Misty McMichael, said in a statement released by the foundation. “I donated Steve’s brain to inspire further research into the connection between them.”
CTE is a degenerative brain disease that has been seen in athletes playing contact sports, combat veterans, and others exposed to repetitive head trauma. It is known to cause violent mood swings, impulsive behavior and depression.
ALS affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to loss of muscle control.
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Misty McMichael, wife of 2024 Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Steve McMichael, poses with his bust during the induction ceremony at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium in Canton, Ohio, August 3, 2024. Steve McMichael was unable to attend due to illness. (Charles LeClaire/USA TODAY Sports)
According to a 2021 study by Harvard Medical School and the Boston University CTE Center, NFL players are more than four times more likely to develop ALS than other men. Dr. Ann McKee, director of Boston University’s CTE Center, said about 6 percent of people with CTE in the brain bank also have ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“There is strong evidence linking repetitive brain trauma and ALS,” McKee said.
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Steve McMichael smiles during Chicago Bears training camp in Lake Forest, Illinois, August 28, 1990. (Charles Cherney/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service)
McMichael, who was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2024, was a key member of the Chicago Bears’ Super Bowl-winning season in 1985. McMichael spent 13 seasons of his career with the Bears, accumulating 847 combined tackles and 91 sacks in 191 games with Chicago.
McMichael played in the NFL for 15 seasons, spending his rookie season with the New England Patriots, his next 13 with the Bears and his last with the Green Bay Packers.
