Drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1974, he played for 17 seasons, 15 with the Steelers. He didnt want a handout. ''You get more and more demented. [2] Since his death, he has become a symbol for head injuries in the NFL and the ongoing debate over player safety. Webster was examined by Allegheny Medical coroner's office pathologist Bennet Omalu, the Nigerian-born discoverer of what is fairly considered one of the most important issues in sports today; CTE. [dropcap]S[/dropcap]oon after his last season in 1990, Webster moved, at his wifes urging, back to her hometown of Lodi, Wisconsin. Webster's doctors said that the concussions Webster had in his career had indeed damaged his frontal lobe, causing cognitive dysfunction, and that his attention span and concentration had been affected. [2], It has been speculated that Webster's ailments were due to wear and tear sustained over his playing career; some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes" in over 25 years of playing football at the high school, college and professional levels. Healthy brain cells will eventually devour those proteins, but in cases like Webster's, the proteins eventually overwhelm the amount of healthy brain cells available to clear the brain. Money quickly became a problem. We represent current players, not former players. Oops, we were unable to send the email. He discovered that Webster . You look at the center position as the foundation, says legendary running back Franco Harris. Webster - aka 'Iron Mike' - died of a heart attack in 2002. [15] Webster's brain resembled those of boxers with "dementia pugilistica", also known as "punch-drunk syndrome". Even as a young boy, he saw that sports was a small-town way to shine. Odds & lines subject to change. He woke up Sunday morning, his lips were purple, he was sheet white, says Garrett. It was in that spirit that Dr. Omalu, then a junior pathologist at the Allegheny County medical examiner's office in Pittsburgh, began an autopsy on a Saturday morning in September 2002. In 1997, just before his Hall of Fame induction, his troubled life became public, and he told The Atlanta Journal and Constitution: ''Because of all this publicity over my situation, people treat me like I'm dying or something. Mike Powell/Getty Images "Iron Mike" Webster helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls in the 70's. After leaving the game, he suffered depression and dementia, dying in 2002 at the age of 50. Some states may prohibit or restrict the solicitation of donations via the Internet or web sites. Players worry about ending their career, she says. We initially were not part of the settlement class, Webster stated. Growing up in Nigeria, Dr. Bennet Omalu knew next to nothing about American football. As a neuropathologist, Omalu was especially interested in the brain. Are you sure that you want to delete this memorial? As a Steeler, he played in nine Pro Bowl games and 245 N.F.L. I had to make sure the slides were Mike Websters slides, Omalu told FRONTLINE. Explore FRONTLINEs collected and ongoing reporting on Russia's war on Ukraine. "If you take out the head injuries, Dad was ruled completely disabled from football," Webster explained. Are you adding a grave photo that will fulfill this request? Failed to remove flower. The sponsor of a memorial may add an additional. The financial strain couldnt fully explain his increasingly bizarre behavior, however. That same year, his lawyer, Robert Fitzsimmons, finally won Webster a $115,000 yearly payment from the NFL for a football-related disability. The weekend of the funeral, Harris went to see Garrett Webster play football and was impressed by the teenagers potential. He played in 4 superbowls, All-pro 7 years, All AFC 5 times, and 9 pro-bowls. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael Allen Webster (Knoxville, Tennessee), who passed away on February 24, 2023, at the age of 65, leaving to mourn family and friends. He put on a brave front, though, for his two daughters. [2][20] Omalu's findings were largely ignored by the NFL until Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chris Henry was diagnosed with CTE shortly after his death at age 26 in 2009. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Webster's estate brought a lawsuit in Maryland's U.S. District Court against the National Football League. ), [pullquote] There was no other explanation for Websters deterioration; the repeated banging of his brain against his skull had damaged the brains nerve cells. He would become the first football player. This guy thinks he can come up with an answer, a solid, concrete answer for why Dad struggled so much. When Webster was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he chose Bradshaw to present him. All photos uploaded successfully, click on the Done button to see the photos in the gallery. I remember my dads last game at Pittsburgh. In public, league doctors assailed his research. Hed cut off his sleeves in the freezing cold, zero degrees, to intimidate the other teams, Rooney says with a grin. This is his story. Find the obituary of Michael Allen Webster (1957 - 2023) from Knoxville, TN. There was a problem getting your location. Michael Lewis Webster (March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American football player who played center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He never came out and said that he was hurt by it but it was a feeling of you were being cast aside, being thrown out. I had to be the dad sometimes., On a Friday night this past September, Webster went to his sons football game. When I was young, he said he wanted me to be somebody, like a lawyer, says Garrett, who moved in with his father three years ago. Edit a memorial you manage or suggest changes to the memorial manager. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. Since then its been great. There are no volunteers for this cemetery. PBS is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. Two Very Different NFLs for Andrew Luck and Amon Gordon, Andrew Lucks retirement, and pain he endured, hit close to home for former Charger, Brain Injury Casts a Dark Cloud Over NFLs 100th Season, New Report Projects Minimum 10% of NFL Players will Develop CTE, Tamarick Vanover chronicles classic story of disposable NFL players, The story of Bill Cesare demonstrates how little the NFL and NFLPA do to take care of former players, The Story of an NFL Wife a Conversation with Cyndy Feasel. 5% of soccer players sustain brain injuries as a result of their sport. Since then we have had some positive instances, in the past couple of years, but overall its been the same thing, over and over again is that instead of people being like this is great, we know about this now so lets fix it, its been more of that asshole ruined things for everybody, you know, and thats, you know, that continues to be the hardest part.. Mike would call at 2 a.m. and say hes lost. Webster saw a slew of doctors during this period in the mid-90s, including one who told him he appeared to be brain-damaged. His toughness made him a winner: He was voted onto the All-Pro team six straight years, won four Super Bowl rings, and joined the greatest players ever in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. [4] [5], Mike Webster was regarded as the best center in the Big Ten during most of his career at the University of WisconsinMadison. Prosecutors just showed an image of Michael Jackson 's dead, naked body sprawled on a gurney -- taken hours after the singer died. Covering the NFL concussion settlement litigation as it plays out, its easy to get caught up in the dockets and the numbers. The patient on the table was Mike Webster, a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On April 26, 2005, a federal judge ruled that the NFL benefits plan owed Webster's estate $1.18 million in benefits. It has been speculated that Webster's ailments were due to wear and tear sustained over his playing career; some doctors estimated he had been in the equivalent of "25,000 automobile crashes" in over 25 years of playing football at the high school, college and professional levels. My dad said he used to sit next to Upshaw when they went to the Pro Bowl and he considered him a friend. based on information from your browser. Steelers legendary center Mike Webster was simply not himself after his career ended. Thats what for whatever reason they dont do because lets be real, they could settle with every single one of the people in this lawsuit for the maximum amount and make the money back.. Please enter your email and password to sign in. Michael L. Webster was born March 18, 1952, in Tomahawk, Wis., and was reared on a 640-acre potato farm. Also like the others, he tried to shrug it off. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. People who play in the NFL, theyre not normal guys. As Omalu recalls in the following clip from League of Denial: Inside the NFLs Concussion Crisis, suddenly the criticism was no longer about his research. Associated Press. His story, however, isnt just a cautionary tale about gridiron injuries. Our piece addressed the role that the thousands of concussions Webster sustained during his football career affected his brain and contributed to his death in 2002 at age 50. [3], Webster was born in Tomahawk, Wisconsin on March 18, 1952 as the second child of six children. They have their competitive streaks. Your account has been locked for 30 minutes due to too many failed sign in attempts. In October 1999, Webster was awarded an NFL disability for traumatic brain injury. My dad played 17 years and we did eventually win our pension suit. I remember him showing me the autopsy photos and showing me the brain scans. Which memorial do you think is a duplicate of Mike Webster (8945061)? As manager of this memorial you can add or update the memorial using the Edit button below. He publishes a newsletter, "The Ninth Circle of Helling," that focuses on labor issues in North American sport. English