Irv Cross had the most severe form of the disease chronic traumatic encephalopathy when he died

The Football Life of Irv Cross: Memory Loss, Anxiety, Depression, and Anomalous Development in a Man Who Missed His Childhood

PHILADELPHIA — Irv Cross was a man of faith and devout fan of football who could no longer in his final years attend Bible study or watch NFL games with friends. The depression and mood swings that he was suffering from had been caused by the brain disease that he had been living with, so he had been forced into isolation.

Former players studied by the BU CTE Center have chosen to donate their brains to the center or have had their brains donated by their families after their deaths.

People who have been exposed to repeated head trauma can be afflicted with chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a disease of the brain. Studies show that repetitive hits to the head can lead to chronic traumatic encephalomyelitis, orCTE.

The disease can only be officially diagnosed with an autopsy, but it can lead to many symptoms including memory loss and confusion, aggression, depression, anxiety and impulse control issues.

Cross, a two-time Pro Bowl secondary who was drafted in 1961, played six seasons in the NFL and three for the Los Angeles Rams.

He was host of the show from 1975 to 1989. Cross also covered gymnastics and the NBA.

Bethe anchor-irv-cross had the brain disease cte: How he and his wife dealt with the problems that she had with her husband

Liz Cross said that her husband didn’t want to be with people. He wanted the only person he could be with to be me. When he was with me, he really didn’t want to be with me. He just wanted me to be there.”

Stage 4 is the most advanced stage of CTE, showing the kind of damage that often causes cognitive and behavioral issues in those exposed to repetitive head trauma. He struggled physically with his balance and was paranoid.

Cross said that her husband had been suffering from headaches for some time, even after he was diagnosed with mild cognitive dementia. It didn’t help the pain, so he didn’t take any medicine. He stopped attending the church. He did not know who was playing and the games were mostly background noise.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/28/1160141857/former-nfl-star-and-cbs-sports-anchor-irv-cross-had-the-brain-disease-cte

Anchor Irv Cross had the Brain Disease Tessellation in a Former NFL Star and Cbs Sports Avalanche and his Mom Liz Cross

“He was the nicest, kindest, most helpful, wonderful man I ever met,” Cross said. That was not who he was at the end. That wasn’t who he was. It was the disease that made that happen.

“I do think there’s more education about the risks of football and I do think there’s more awareness of concussion management but I still think we’re way, way behind where we should be,” McKee said. “We need to educate young athletes that this is a risk that they are undertaking. We need to teach the coaches how to not use head trauma in the game. We need to better manage athletes. I think there’s a cavalier attitude to the disease. There’s a lot of denial.”

In fact, Liz Cross said she and her husband were “both in denial” about the cause of the breakdowns in his health until about five years before his death.

“For somebody who had been so active and so able to do everything, and an athlete, not having balance, not having strength, not being able to do any of the things he had done before, it was embarrassing,” she said. He was constantly in a state of depression.

Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/02/28/1160141857/former-nfl-star-and-cbs-sports-anchor-irv-cross-had-the-brain-disease-cte

Irv Cross: A Case Study in the Early 20-Year NFL with the Eagles and the Coltegers at the Colosseum

The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback had 22 interceptions, 14 fumble recoveries, eight forced fumbles and a pair of defensive touchdowns. On return punts, he averaged 27.9 yards.

Cross said her husband told her he had suffered a few concussions but didn’t keep track of them. He suffered so many head injuries in his rookie season that his Eagles teammates called him “Paper Head.”

“It’s important to highlight cases like Irv Cross’ because he was able to live a long and successful life where CTE didn’t dramatically impair him,” he said. “But at the end, it was a struggle.”

Irv told his wife that if he got another concussion he would die, because after a hit to his head doctors said he would die.