Lance Briggs opens up about living with CTE symptoms
Former NFL linebacker Lance Briggs is opening up about his post-football life in a web series titled "Lance Briggs-Time of my Life" on SQOR.com, specifically, how he's dealing with what he believes to be symptoms related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
Briggs - who played 179 career games over 12 seasons, all with the Chicago Bears - talked about his love for the sport during the first episode, but also the physical toll it takes.
"I enjoyed every minute of football. I didn't feel like I was in the game until I got a good pop. Either I got popped or I popped somebody. You're not supposed to be doing the things we're doing to our bodies," Briggs said, according to Kathy Chaney of Ebony.com.
"CTE affects guys in a different way, and you start seeing it even in the practice of football. You get worried. I get concerned for myself. And even though I've never had any suicidal thoughts, or anything like that, for it to happen to some great men, and great football players, I know that I can't separate myself from that crowd."
Briggs said he's attempting to minimize the effects for as long as possible by keeping his body and mind active. The 36-year-old hosts "The Lance Briggs Show" and does pregame and postgame work for the Bears. He's also working to earn his degree at the University of Arizona, where he played college football.
"It does scare me, because a lot of men that played the game have taken their lives. There's a heavy percentage of them that are linebackers," said Briggs.
The NFL settled a class-action lawsuit by former players suffering from symptoms of CTE in 2015.
Currently, there is no way to determine if a living person has CTE.