Former Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots Pro Bowl cornerback Brandon Browner pled no contest to attempted murder charges back in December.
It stems from an incident in Southern California in which Browner broke into an ex-girlfriend’s home and stole a Rolex. He was ultimately charged with attempted murder a few days later. Browner’s no-contest plea led to a sentence of eight years in prison.
Now at the advice of his attorney Chris Darden — of O.J. Simpson trial fame — Browner is demanding a new trial. In court documents obtained by TMZ Sports, the former NFLer is claiming that CTE led to the incident in question.
“Browner also claims he can’t fully concentrate or focus — and a forensic psychologist believes this could be the result of CTE caused by the numerous hits he sustained during his 11-year NFL career,” the gossip rag reported.
Whether Browner actually gets a new trial remains to be seen. But it’s clear that he’s attempting to use the NFL’s CTE issue to his advantage.
Remember, former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez was diagnosed with CTE after he committed suicide in prison back in 2017. Obviously, the CTE issue has been a pretty big backstory around the NFL. Science has concluded that the affliction does impact a person’s day-to-day life.
Browner played in the NFL from 2011-15. He earned a Super Bowl ring with both the Patriots and Seahawks.