Surely no one is surprised that former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown is making outlandish statements again. This time Brown is accusing his teammate, former Steelers linebacker James Harrison, for giving him CTE.
CTE, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, is a degenerative condition associated with repeated head injuries or blows to the head. The only way to accurately diagnose CTE is by an autopsy. This has made it difficult to treat and understand the progression. Despite all the talk about CTE regarding football players, it is still considered a rare disorder.
Some of the symptoms of CTE include difficulties with cognition (thinking) and regulating emotions as well as erratic behaviors. Those with CTE may be at increased risk of suicide.
CTE was found in the brain of players like Junior Seau and Dave Duerson who committed suicide. It was also discovered in the brains of some players who committed violent actions like Aaron Hernandez and Phillip Adams. While no one fully understands the disorder, the NFL has announced they are committed to reducing head injuries in players.
Formers Steelers Guard Ramon Foster Heaps On James Harrison
Brown is no stranger to drama or farfetched stories. He always seems to be involved in something unbelievable that keeps his name on the tip of people's tongues, not a bad strategy if your goal is infamy.
The latest escapade from Brown came to light during an Instagram live video where he claimed Harrison is responsible for giving him CTE.
"I wanted to tell you guys that I think James Harrison gave me CTE. James Harrison had an illegal helmet for over 20 years in the NFL. And he hit me one time. And ever since he hit me I've been super aggressive. So blame James Harriosn for my CTE."
Brown must be the only person in the world that doesn't blame a nasty hit from Cincinnati Bengals' Vontez Burfict for the CTE.
It isn't uncommon for Brown's dramatic bids for attention to elicit just that and this time it is from another former teammate, Ramon Foster.
Foster, who was a guard for the Steelers from 2009-2019, recently joined in the fun. He poked a bit at the supposed NFL "script" as well as how dangerous Harrison was as a player.
He tweeted out this message along with a photo from Instagram that shows Foster, Harrison and Maurkice Pouncey.
"I felt I needed to tell my truth too since we revealing what our script said. It was @jharrison9292 who did that to my knee and he threatened @maurkicepouncey and Gil too, peep our concern."
Harrison definitely has a reputation as one of the toughest defensive players ever in the NFL but it is a bit absurd to call out a teammate in this way. Fortunately, Harrison lets most things roll off his back and this is no exception. He put out his own tweets letting folks know it is nothing serious.
It is difficult to tell with Brown if he seriously believes this or if this is just an attention-getting ploy. Frankly one isn't better than the other. I don't know about you but I didn't have AB accusing Harrison of assault on my 2023 bingo card.
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