--- title: CTE Confirmed in Living NFL Player for First Time description: The subject of the diagnosis was reportedly former Minnesota Vikings linebacker Fred McNeill. canonical: https://time.com/5027149/cte-found-living-nfl-player/ author: Billy Perrigo article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-11-16T13:28:23.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:04:08.789Z article:section: Science og:title: CTE Confirmed in Living NFL Player for the First Time og:description: Another study found the disease in the brains of 110 out of 111 deceased players og:url: https://time.com/5027149/cte-found-living-nfl-player/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4d23400f075d720/6988e61ce76ad26cb762ff8b/gettyimages-824888588.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 4540 og:image:height: 2554 og:image:alt: CTE brain og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: CTE Confirmed in Living NFL Player for the First Time twitter:description: Another study found the disease in the brains of 110 out of 111 deceased players twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd4d23400f075d720/6988e61ce76ad26cb762ff8b/gettyimages-824888588.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # CTE Was Confirmed in a Living Person for the First Time. And It's a Veteran NFL Player > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. 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Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=f1c487f8-73ce-495f-9c5c-a55853269816&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Researcher Says Aaron Hernandez Suffered Severe Case of CTE [Watch (HLS stream): Researcher Says Aaron Hernandez Suffered Severe Case of CTE](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/bcSGFFzL.m3u8) (0:58)  _Published 2017-11-09. Aaron Hernandez suffered the worst case of CTE ever seen in someone his age, according to researchers at Boston University._  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Nov 16, 2017 1:28 PM UTC  JUL. 12 2012: Dr. Ann C. McKee, Director of Boston University's CTE Center, does an autopsy on the brain of an NFL player who died in his 40s JUL. 12 2012: Dr. Ann C. McKee, Director of Boston University's CTE Center, does an autopsy on the brain of an NFL player who died in his 40s Boston Globe—Boston Globe via Getty Images  by [Billy Perrigo](https://time.com/author/billy-perrigo/)  ## Billy Perrigo Correspondent Nov 16, 2017 1:28 PM UTC A former NFL player is reportedly the first living person ever accurately diagnosed with CTE, or [chronic traumatic encephalopathy](http://time.com/5018393/aaron-hernandez-cte-nfl-football-safety/), the disease found in the brains of dozens of ex football players. This breakthrough, which was made in 2012, but only published this week in the journal [_Neurosurgery_](https://academic.oup.com/neurosurgery/article-abstract/doi/10.1093/neuros/nyx536/4616608?redirectedFrom=fulltext)_,_ could help doctors identify and treat patients while they are still alive. CTE was previously only identifiable through a brain examination after death. The subject of the diagnosis was not named in the study, but was [reported by CNN](http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/16/health/cte-confirmed-in-first-living-person-bn/index.html) to be Fred McNeill, who died in 2015 at age 63\. McNeill played 12 seasons as a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings before retiring in 1985. The disease, which is linked to repetitive head injury, has symptoms including memory loss, anger and depression. Another study, published last year, found CTE in the brains of [110 out of 111 deceased NFL players](http://time.com/4871597/degenerative-brain-disease-cte-football/) examined. The NFL acknowledged the link between CTE and football for the first time in 2016. The new breakthrough involves using an experimental brain scanning technique, where a radioactive ‘tracer’ that attaches itself to proteins associated with the disease can be picked up by a PET scan. The report confirmed that a study of the patient’s brain after his death revealed the CTE diagnosis had been correct. The new scanning process has been used on at least a dozen other retired players, however McNeill’s case is the first to be confirmed via autopsy. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5027149/cte-found-living-nfl-player/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5027149/cte-found-living-nfl-player/"},"headline":"CTE Was Confirmed in a Living Person for the First Time. 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