Dave Duerson's Sad End Includes a Generous Gift for Others

Filed under: Chicago Bears, NFC North

Dave Duerson, a key member of the Super Bowl-winning 1985 Chicago Bears, committed suicide by shooting himself in the chest on Thursday. It was a sad end to the life of a man who found great success in his 20s but who was deeply troubled after leaving football.

But before Duerson killed himself, he offered a generous gift to others: His brain.

In a suicide note he sent to friends, Duerson asked that his brain be donated to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University School of Medicine. The Center has been leading the way in research into how brain damage -- including injuries suffered in collisions on the football field -- can lead to health problems later in life. One theory is that people who have a history of repetitive brain trauma are more likely to experience depression, and studying Duerson's brain may help researchers determine whether brain damage suffered on the football field led to the depression that ultimately caused him to take his life.

Source: http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2011/02/20/dave-duersons-sad-end-includes-a-generous-gift-for-others/

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