Former NHL enforcer opens up on the effects of CTE

Apparently, Bo now knows CTE.

Former Heisman Trophy winner and Pro-Bowler Bo Jackson has recently been seen on several major networks discussing the risk of brain trauma associated with football, stating that he would have never chosen a career in the sport if he had been aware of the dangers. He joins a growing number of ex and even current pro football players who share the same sentiment.

With the NHL undergoing changes in protocol amidst a firestorm of controversy surrounding the subject, Pro Hockey News was fortunate to get a good inside look at the specific effects from former wingman and enforcer Jacques “the Mailman” Mailhot, whose pugilistic skills on the ice landed him a two year contract with the Quebec Nordiques.

“As a former enforcer I know the risks and what it does to your body and brain so I believe it’s important to talk about it because it’s real,” said Mailhot. ” At this time last year I found myself in really bad shape, thinking about taking my own life until I went to the hospital and begged them to help me.”

“The fact is that the brain injuries are not visible like a broken bone or a cut above the eye, said Jacques. “They will put you in a cast, or stitch you up and ask you “Are you ready to go back in?’ The pain is real and will follow you all the time. It’s hard to admit that something like CTE can affect and change your life and behavior, and can lead to a very dark lonesome road. But it is there, and will have a huge impact of the sufferer. No hockey players want to sit out a game or two for having headaches, vertigo, panic attacks, or just the fear of not knowing what is happening between your ears.”

CTE can cause Alzheimer’s like symptoms. They can include cognitive pairment, impulsive behavior, depression, memory loss, difficulty planning or carrying out tasks, emotional instability, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts, according to the Mayo Clinic.

The effects of CTE are not just limited to retired athletes from middle age and beyond. The recent suicide of 25-year-old Ty Pozzobon rocked the professional rodeo circuit and demonstrated how rapidly that repeated head trauma can have tragic effects.

http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/family-say-pozzobon-was-suffering-from-concussions-depression-when-he-died

“The scars hiding on the inside are permanent reminder of the struggle that many before me and long after I’m gone will be living with, said Mailhot. “I have no regrets for what I did; would do it again over and over. It is a road filled with amazing friends and memories. But theses are getting harder to remember as each day erases a little bit of the past.”

“It’s not only the pain; the fear is very real,” Jacques continued. “Some have reached that point when the pain has no solution and ending the suffering if the only way out. When you’re falling down for no reason it’s hard to reflect on the glory days, the standing ovations, the autographs signings after the game for that young fan who wishes he could be you someday. All these guys that took their lives; it was because of the pain. The emptiness that fills you and the destruction that you subject yourself to for a few bucks and screaming fans are not enough to survive the spiral downfall you experience when they tell you that you are no longer needed.”