Fromer Steelers Great Antonio Brown Makes Outrageous Claim That The NFL Invented CTE

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Antonio Brown have been on one wild ride together since the team drafted him in the sixth round in 2010. First, Brown lit the world on fire with his incredible talent. Brown could make the most amazing catches, including one off his helmet his rookie year during the playoffs that helped get Pittsburgh to the Super Bowl. But as time went on, the ride got stranger and stranger and in 2018, the team wanted off. 

Brown requested a trade, but with all of his antics, the Steelers were only too happy to oblige. They had tolerated a lot, accepting that he was a bit of a "diva," but it was going too far. He was no longer a healthy, functioning member of the team. 

After Brown left the safety of Pittsburgh, things collapsed for him quickly. Yes, he won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but Tom Brady had to act like a glorified babysitter to get him there. So what went wrong? Many think Brown suffers from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) from repeated concussions or hits to the head. People always cite one hit in particular, when Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict hit him illegally. It was a clear case of him lowering his head and targeting Brown. Brown himself always tells people it was caused by former teammate James Harrison.

Steelers' Antonio Brown Disputes The Origins Of CTE

It doesn't matter how Brown thinks he got CTE. In fact, we may never know if that's what actually happened to him. The only way to diagnose CTE is by dissecting the brain post-mortem. Several NFL players who have suffered with their mental health after leaving the league have left their bodies to science so doctors can learn more. When Dave Duerson shot himself in the chest, he left a note letting his family know he intentionally left his brain intact to be studied. About a year later, Junior Seau killed himself the same way. Doctors found CTE in both of their brains. 

The deaths of these players and the response from the families and community have led the NFL to consider protecting player's heads even further. They have changed the rules to make any kind of hit to the head illegal, investing in new technology like concussion-proof helmets, and have a better understanding of concussion protocol should a player sustain one. Gone are the days when you say someone, "got their bell rung" and they should shake it off. 

But Brown doesn't really believe in CTE, despite all the jokes he makes. He recently appeared on Cam Capone's podcast, Cam Capone News, and was asked by Capone about the talk of how Brown has CTE. Capone said he views this as a really serious topic, especially because it cannot be diagnosed until you are dead. 

"Let me say something about CTE. The NFL developed CTE for when guys have concussions and they have brain problems so they don't have to pay you. You know, if you play football and you signed up for this game, you know you're going to get head injuries or concussions, so to make the NFL not have to pay so many football players that came out of the game. They diagnose this CTE," claimed Brown.

Brown said that everyone had trauma in their past and as far as he is concerned, this is all about how people are perceiving him. He goes on to tell Capone that is why he is promoting "CTESPN," which is a podcast he claims to be starting with fellow NFL player Chandler Jones. He said he wants to have an open dialogue about solutions. 

He also said people always try to point to one specific hit, but the reality is if you play football long enough, you are going to get your "a** kicked" or you need to do the "a** kicking." He notes that he is a guy that does the kicking. 

Capone said he never understood why people claim Brown got CTE from the Burfict hit, that it would take years of repeated damage. Brown doubles down on his assertion that the NFL is only looking out for itself in all of this. 

"When you pass, the NFL get your brain and then they'll do a scan and then make up something so they could pay your family and not make the league look terrifying. But you know I'm sane, I'm suitable, I'm sovereign," added Brown.

CTE wasn't discovered by the NFL, it actually originated from boxing. A doctor who was studying boxers who appeared "punch drunk" after a career of fighting and taking blows to the head, displayed similar symptoms. The first documented case of CTE in the NFL did come from Steelers legend Mike Webster, whose family generously donated his body to science after his death. 

Brown told Capone he will not leave his brain to the NFL to be scanned, he feels like he has nothing to prove to anyone. He said people are going to say whatever they want to say about you and no test after you die will change that. Capone pressed him some more about leaving his brain to science. Brown again says he won't. He doesn't have any problems, the problems are with the media and/or the fan base, not with him. 

Who knows if Brown's wild behaviors, and sometimes crazy ramblings, are a result of CTE or if the fame and money allowed Brown to act out however he sees fit. There are plenty of people out there who think it is all an act for attention. 

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