Former CFL receiver Evraire makes decision to donate brain to Boston University
Ken Evraire will donate his brain to science but the former CFL receiver is fearful about what doctors might find.
“They could say, ‘We examined his brain and found nothing,” the 52-year-old Toronto native said with a chuckle. “Many coaches would then say, ‘I could’ve told you that, I could’ve saved you a lot of time and energy.’”
But the issue of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a degenerative disease found in people who’ve suffered repeated blows to the head — in pro football is a serious matter. Last month, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a report that research on 202 former football players found evidence of CTE, which can cause a host of health problems including memory loss, depression and dementia.
It was diagnosed in 177 former players or nearly 90 per cent of brains studied. That included seven-of-eight brains from former CFL players; 110-of-111 from former NFL players; 48-of-53 U.S. college players; nine-of-14 semi-pro players and three-of-14 high-school players. The disease was not found in brains from two younger players.