Former Patriot Johnson Lends His Brain to Study

Once upon a time, linebacker Ted Johnson was a Super Bowl champion and New England fan favorite. The NFL veteran was on top of the world – until he suffered enough concussions to turn his glorious career and life upside down. Johnson left the Patriots after learning he’d be inactive for a season starter, and he has since been plagued by post-concussion syndrome, which has been linked to cognitive impairment and severe depression.

Johnson’s neurologist has said that between 2002 and 2005, the linebacker suffered multiple concussions that have resulted in permanent problems dealing with memory and depression, yet the long-term effects of concussions are still largely undetermined, especially as the condition stands with the NFL. In order to further explore the consequences of concussions, Johnson has lent a hand (or rather, brain) to a study being conducted by Boston University’s School of Medicine concerning long-term effects of concussions. A total of 12 athletes, including six NFL players, have agreed to donate their brains to the Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy after their deaths. 35-year-old Johnson is one of those six, and he hopes the study will clarify some of the results of concussions he has suffered since his glory days in the NFL.

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