Did Phillip Adams have CTE?: Former NFL Player, Who Murdered 5 People, To Be Inspected For Brain Damage

Arth Chandra | 10/04/2021
Did Phillip Adams have CTE?: Former NFL Player, Who Murdered 5 People, To Be Inspected For Brain Damage

Former NFL DB Phillip Adams committed the gruesome murder of 5 people this past Wednesday before taking his own life as well. Considering the extent of the crime, the brain of Adams will be tested for CTE.

Phillip Adams went to the house of Dr Robert Lesslie and shot and killed 5 people. The deceased included Robert Lesslie, his wife Barbara, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old Noah Lesslie, and James Lewis, a 38-year-old air conditioning technician from Gaston who was doing work there.  Phillips was found dead early on Thursday at his home.

Phillip Adams brain will be tested for CTE.

Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) has been closely associated with military veterans and athletes. Professional football players and others who have been repeatedly or violently struck in the head. A recent study found signs of the disease in 110 of 111 NFL players whose brains were inspected.

York County Coroner Sabrina Gast released a statement this past Friday that approval had been received by the Adams’ family to do the CTE procedure. While routine forensic autopsies “do not identify chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),” the York County, South Carolina, Coroner’s Office said it will work in tandem with Boston University researchers who have been at the forefront of the degenerative brain disease.

Phillip Adams played in 78 games over his 6 seasons as an NFL pro. A fact to note, however, is Adams had suffered 2 concussions over a 3 games span during his time at the Raiders in 2012. Whether these concussions were bad enough to cause long-lasting effects wouldn’t have been known at the time

Phillip Adams Family spoke on Phillip’s mental state.

Adams’ father spoke up on his son’s demise and blamed football for their troubles. “I can say he’s a good kid – he was a good kid, and I think the football messed him up,” Alonzo Adams told WCNC-TV. “He didn’t talk much and he didn’t bother nobody.”

Adams’ sister told USA Today that her brother’s “mental health degraded fast and terribly bad” in recent years and that the family noticed “extremely concerning” signs of mental illness, including an escalating temper and personal hygiene neglect.

In a statement, Adams’ parents and siblings sent their condolences to the Lesslie, Lewis and Shook families. “The Phillip we know is not a man that is capable of the atrocities he committed on Wednesday.”

CTE has been a cause of concern for former and current NFL players alike. If Adams’ tests come through for CTE, it could cause major alarm amongst NFL circles. Regardless, the NFL and its medical team must look into the same.

 

Also Read:  NFL Player Shooting : Former NFL Player Phillip Adams commits suicide after murdering 5 people in South Carolina.

Post Edited By: Snehith Vemuri
CTE NFL Phillip Adams

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Arth Chandra

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