Former NFL player Frank Wycheck suffered from CTE before his death, researchers say
The late Frank Wycheck, remembered for the pass that started the famous “Music City Miracle”, suffered from an advanced form of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), researchers say.
Wycheck died in December 2023 after a fall at his home in Tennessee. He has made it clear that he wishes to collaborate with experts in the research of CTE and related brain injuries.
A study of Wycheck’s brain by researchers at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center confirmed that the former Tennessee Titans star suffered from a debilitating brain disease during the last years of his life.
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Frank Wycheck of the Tennessee Titans on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Dec. 10, 2000. (Scott Halleran/Allsport)
Wycheck was diagnosed with CTE stage III. Stage IV is the most severe form of the disease and can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression. CTE can occur after repeated head trauma, such as a concussion or blow to the head, according to the Mayo Clinic.
A 2017 study by the Boston University CTE Center concluded that the brains of 99% of former NFL players had at least trace amounts of the neurodegenerative disease. Researchers studied the brains of 202 former football players.
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Wycheck, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, played in the NFL from 1993 and 2003, starting with Washington and ending his career with the Houston Oilers organization, which moved to Tennessee to become the Titans.
Wycheck’s family said in a statement that they are grateful for the diagnosis, which they believe further highlights concerns about CTE in contact sports such as football. They want to honor his legacy with a strong commitment to player safety and support for those with head injuries.
His daughters say their family is having trouble understanding both the physical and mental changes Wycheck is going through, thinking he’s just missing the limelight of his career.
Frank Wycheck celebrates the Tennessee Titans’ victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC Divisional playoff game in Nashville, Jan. 11, 2003. (Simon Bruty/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
“We saw our father continue to live alone and have mood swings. He was impulsive, often disagreeable and unreliable,” said Deanna Wycheck Szabo in a statement. “Now that I look back, I understand that he was suffering from CTE symptoms from the repeated trauma to his brain and body that he endured over 11 seasons in the NFL.”
Former Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck runs onto the field before a game against the San Diego Chargers at LP Field on Sept. 22, 2013, in Nashville. (Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)
Szabo said Wycheck loved football and his teammates. He said he fought for years after retirement to express the symptoms and struggles he knew stemmed from CTE, feeling neglected and helpless. Szabo also said he wishes his family had been educated about the signs of CTE so they would know what to look for and now hopes for more intervention, education and support for NFL alumni and their families.
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“Instead of believing that something is wrong with him, now we know that he is doing his best as a father and friend under circumstances that were beyond his control,” said Szabo.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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