Did CTE Cause Steelers Legendary Center Mike Webster To Panic And Cross NFLPA Picket Line In 1987

The Pittsburgh Steelers center position is special. The continuity of Hall of Fame play at the position is almost unrivaled in the Super Bowl era. The Steelers have had two centers elected to the Hall of Fame and when Maurkice Pouncey becomes eligible, they will likely earn a third bust in the Canton museum.

The Steelers' 1974 Draft Was The Best In The History Of The NFL And It Will Never Be Duplicated 

The Hall of Fame cycle started with Mike Webster. The best center in NFL history was part of the legendary 1974 draft of the Steelers. Webster was the fifth-round pick of the Steelers and the last of the four Hall of Fame players selected in that draft by Pittsburgh. They signed Donnie Shell as an undrafted free agent who would become the fifth player from that class to end up in Canton, OH.

Webster did not get on the field right away. Ray Mansfield was the incumbent center and he remained in the position through Super Bowl IX and X as the starter. Webster took over in 1976 and he started every game for the next 11 seasons. 

In 1986, he dislocated his elbow and missed four games in his 11th season. The injury ended his consecutive game streak and heightened his already out-of-control paranoia. He missed the Pro Bowl for the first time in eight seasons.

When the 1987 season rolled around, labor strife was in the air. In Tunch Ilkin's book, In The Locker Room Tales Of The Pittsburgh Steelers, he recalls his interactions with Webster after he decided to cross the picket line. The future Hall of Fame player was convinced his play had slipped and that refusing to play for the Steelers during the strike would bring an end to his career.

“Webby was paranoid," Ilkin writes. "When he crossed the picket line in 1987, he called me in tears since I was the Steelers’ player representative. ‘They are going to cut me.’ Webster said."

If Webster’s career had ended in 1986, he would have still been a Hall of Fame player. The mental instability was a clear sign something was wrong, but in 1986, players and coaches did not recognize these kinds of signs. Webster needed help, but he didn’t ask for it.

“Webby, they’re not going to cut you,” Ilkin continued. “He really believed they would if he didn’t cross the picket line. That’s why he was so driven I guess. He was also the hardest working guy I ever saw.”

Webster played 15 games for the Steelers in 1987. He was selected to the final Pro Bowl in his career. After the 1988 season, he became a free agent. Instead of retiring, he played two more seasons for the Kansas City Chiefs and retired in March of 1991. The Steelers typically don’t retire numbers, but no one has worn that number since Webster took it off for the final time in 1988.

Webster’s life after football was a tortured existence. He was diagnosed with amnesia, dementia, depression and acute pain. Terry Bradshaw covered many of the expenses for his center and his family. Dan Rooney rented him a hotel room for three months, but Webster was proud and often disappeared for long stretches living out of his truck. His pain was so bad he bought taser to knock himself out so he could sleep.

The sheer panic about having to play to maintain his career was a sign that Webster was probably already suffering from the effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy, (CTE). After he died in 2002, he became the first former player diagnosed with the disease. His brain condition was so advanced that some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of 25,000 automobile crashes. 

Webster was also addicted to painkillers. The painkillers must not have provided very much relief for the struggling former All-Pro. Webster resorted to the use of the taser to sleep as proof it did not give him much comfort. He suggested that he often had to shock himself multiple times, just to get some sleep.

The Steelers are not directly to blame for Webster’s condition. Webster simply would not come out of games. He played the final three games of 1980 with torn cartilage in his knee, including the Pro Bowl. Modern players opt out of the Pro Bowl for fatigue. It is beyond comprehension that he would play with a severe injury in what is now a meaningless exhibition game. That level of commitment and dedication in 1986 was applauded and certainly not questioned.

The NFL's hands are not clean. They denied the Hall of Fame center and his family’s disability for years. In 2005, three years after his death, the family finally won a lawsuit that awarded them over one million dollars. The NFL promptly appealed and withheld payment for nearly 18 months until they lost for a second time. When the NFL finally settled a concussion lawsuit in 2013, they noticeably excluded Webster's family from receiving funds. 

There is a fine line between the watered-down version of the modern NFL and the warrior mentality that ultimately cost Webster and his family everything. His plight is not an isolated incident, but it is little more than just a dirty little secret of days gone by in the league. 

In retrospect, the signs that Webster was struggling physically and mentally were readily apparent. Everyone missed them. Webster's death heightened awareness of what CTE was, but it did not directly lead to any significant change for over a decade. 

That is a secret the NFL hopes you forget while they toss endless flags for phantom hits under the guise of protecting current players. All the while they withhold payment from Webster's family for their acknowledged role in shortening his life. It appears to be little more than petty vengeance for his posthumous role in exposing their hypocrisy and costing the NFL money.  

What do you think Steeler Nation? Are you shocked that an eleven-year veteran crossed the picket line because he was afraid of being cut? Please comment below or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.

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