For a couple of seasons, there wasn’t a running back in the NFL that could compare to Larry Johnson of the Kansas City Chiefs. Between 2005-06, he carried the ball 752 times for 3,539 yards and 37 touchdowns, one of the greatest two-year stretches in NFL history.
Now retired, Johnson told Kent Babb of the Washington Post he cannot remember two of his seasons in the league. He believes he’s suffering from CTE (Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy), a debilitating brain disease that has been present just about every player that’s been tested in recent years post mortem.
Johnson ended his career in 2011. He played for the Chiefs, Cincinnati Bengals, Washington Redskins and Miami Dolphins. He finished with 6,223 yards and 55 touchdowns on the ground, adding another 1,373 yards and six touchdowns on 154 career receptions.
Many former players have spoken up about their battles with memory loss, and of course some players have had their lives end in tragedy while battling this disease.
The NFL has implemented concussion protocols that are supposed to aid men playing today, but when you see what happened to Tom Savage on Sunday the increased effort to reduce trauma rings a bit hollow.