Dr. Bennet Omalu, featured in the Concussion movie, is the world renowned forensic pathologist who first discovered CTE in football players. He is fully convinced that O.J. Simpson suffers from the brain disease, which would explain a lot about the man.
Speaking exclusively with People magazine, Omalu put his reputation on the line with a definitive statement:
“I would bet my medical license that he has CTE,” Omalu said.
Perhaps backtracking a bit, he added this:
“Given his profile, I think it’s not an irresponsible conclusion to suspect he has CTE.”
The symptoms of this disease go hand in hand with the events of Simpson’s life after football.
Per the Mayo Clinic, these are some of the symptoms associated with CTE: Difficulty thinking (cognitive impairment), impulsive behavior, depression or apathy, short-term memory loss, difficulty planning and carrying out tasks (executive function), emotional instability, substance abuse, suicidal thoughts or behavior.
Simpson has a long track record now of getting into trouble.
He was arrested in 2001 for battery and burglary. He was suspected of being involved in a drug ring that same year, though the FBI found nothing to charge him with. He got into hot water in 2002 and 2004 and then famously was arrested for robbery when he and other charged into a Las Vegas casino and stole sports memorabilia.
And while acquitted of any crime in 1995 for the double murder of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman, he did end up losing in Civil court and was ordered to pay out $33.5 million in damages.
Before all this mayhem, Simpson was known as an all-American kid during his playing days at USC and for the Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He won the Heisman Trophy in 1968, wowing the nation with his outstanding play and his golden smile.
After football he had a long run as a successful actor before the train started derailing.
The pattern of Simpson’s life follows in line with the time frames of CTE. Per the Mayo Clinic, symptoms don’t usually start manifesting until at least eight years after suffering “repetitive mild traumatic brain injury.”
Then as the disease progresses, things just keep getting worse:
- Stage I: Headache, loss of attention and concentration
- Stage II: Depression, explosivity and short-term memory loss
- Stage III: Decision-making (executive) dysfunction and cognitive impairment
- Stage IV: Dementia, word-finding difficulty and aggression
This progression would certainly explain why Simpson’s behavior has continued to spiral as he ages.
Being that Omalu is a leading scientist in this field, having discovered the truth to begin with, it’s safe to assume he knows what he’s talking about. We can assume that Simpson is suffering from CTE. Now the next question is, what can be done to help the man?