Back in January, Washington State QB Tyler Hilinski was found dead after an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Many wondered what could’ve caused Hilinski to end his life at the young age of 21 and it was most likely due to football.
In interviews with The Today Show and Sports Illustrated, Hilinski’s parents revealed that they believe he suffered from CTE. This diagnosis is very common among football players after taking numerous vicious hits throughout their career. The Mayo Clincic conducted the autopsy on Hilinski and discovered the stage 1 CTE.
Hilinski’s mother Kym was shocked that he would be diagnosed with CTE playing the game he loved so much. His father Mark said that he had the brain of a 65-year-old at the time due to his CTE.
Hilinski served more of a backup QB role at Washington State in 2016 and most of 2017 but did start eight games last season and threw for 1,176 yards, seven touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Flip the page for Hilinski’s parents on The Today Show.