Honoring Greg: Support CTE Research

It is with broken hearts that we are sharing the news that my brother Greg has passed away.  There are no words, other than we miss his big smile, his bigger hugs, and his biggest heart.  We remember his sense of humor, his excellence on the football field, and his drive to succeed.  Greg was beloved by so many, and I know his unexpected departure will leave behind a large hole in our hearts.  

We have received messages from many of you over the last few years who have loved and cared for Greg, and have expressed concerns for his well-being as he had been navigating his own path in life.  We have felt your love and support and appreciate it more than you may ever know.  For those who did what they could to support and care for Greg along the way, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.  

We do feel it is important to share some early information with you so that some of your questions may be answered; first and foremost, we feel strongly that the progressive dramatic change to his personality and overall demeanor is related to the time he spent doing what he loved: playing football.  Research into the correlation between repeated head injuries sustained while playing football and the development of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) is still fairly new, and currently a positive diagnosis can only be confirmed after death.  The research so far has already shown an alarming relationship between the two, but there is still much to learn; as such, we felt the best way to honor Greg’s memory would be to donate his brain to the UNITE Brain Bank and the CTE Center with Boston University who have been at the forefront of the research effort focused on CTE in football players.  We appreciate their dedication to this important cause. (For more information about the program: https://www.bu.edu/cte/about/  (https://www.bu.edu/cte/about/))

Our family thanks you all for loving and supporting Greg over the years and want to thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time - they have been felt. We are grateful to know that he is finally at peace and safe in the Lord’s hands.

We intend to donate funds to the CTE Center at Boston University.