Another NFL Suicide

Formerdefensive back Paul Oliver, committed suicide. He died from a gunshot wound. TheUniversity of Georgia football player’s death marks the latest in a series ofsuicides committed by professional ball players. He is survived by wife and twochildren. High school coach Bruce Cobleigh said, “This is surprising,shocking. He was really outgoing. He was really well-liked, a leader, hard,hard worker.”

Arecent study published in the journal “Brain” examined the tissue of 34 profootball players post mortem. All except one showed evidence of chronictraumatic encephalopathy or CTE a brain disease that follows several hits tothe head. The disease is neurodegenerative. Many of the professional footballplayers that committed suicide had signs of CTE. In 2012, the NFL started acrisis support line for players and their loved ones.

See Josh Levs. Steve Almasy and Joe Sutton Paul Oliver’s Suicide is Latest in a Sting Among Former NFL Players, CNN,  Sep. 26, 2013.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Attorney at law, Florida Probate Attorney Wills and Estates Law Firm) for bringing this article to my attention.