NFL’s Frank Wycheck Posthumously Diagnosed With CTE

More details are emerging about the factors that played into the death of Frank Wycheck, a former Tennessee Titans tight end who died in December 2023.

Wycheck’s family has released a statement revealing that medical examiners have posthumously confirmed his diagnosis of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Stage III.

According to the Mayo Clinic, CTE is a degenerative brain disorder caused by “repeated head injuries,” and it worsens over time, causing issues like dementia, memory loss, gross motor function and emotional instability. The condition is rare in the general population, but those who play contact sports such as football are vulnerable.

While CTE can be suspected during a person’s life, it can only be definitively diagnosed after death, via an autopsy of the brain.

During his lifetime, Wycheck spoke out about his suspicions that he suffered from CTE. In a 2017 interview with ESPN, he detailed “scary” symptoms like migraines, depression and anxiety, and said he planned to donate his brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation after his death.

As they announced his official diagnosis, Wycheck’s daughters Deanna and Madison both shared reflections on their experiences of watching him suffer from his symptoms.

Deanna said that the family initially believed Wycheck was struggling to adjust to life outside football after his retirement, as they noticed him getting “increasingly isolated and experiencing drastic mood swings.” But in retrospect, she wishes they’d been better educated on the symptoms of CTE.

“Instead of believing that something was inherently wrong with him, we now know he was doing the best he could as a father and friend under circumstances beyond his control,” she continues, expressing her wish that other NFL alumni and their families will be more educated on CTE in the future.

“If one thing could come of this diagnosis, I pray that families all over the world would consider my dad’s story as a cautionary tale regarding the long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes,” Madison adds, “and to carefully think about their careers in professional contact sports.”

At the time of his death, a statement indicated that he had fallen and hit his head at some point during the morning of Dec. 9, 2023. He was discovered unresponsive that afternoon. The fall was ruled as his primary cause of death.