Another dead NFL legend, Ken Stabler, found to have CTE in brain

The New York Times is reporting that former Raiders quarterback Ken Stabler, who died at the age of 69 in July of colon cancer, had CTE.

His brain was donated to researchers to study for patterns of CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), the degenerative brain disease made famous in the movie "Concussion" that is connected with repeated head trauma. On a scale of 1 to 4, Stabler was found to have high Stage 3 CTE in the research done at Boston University. The disease cannot currently be diagnosed before death.

Dr. Ann McKee, who is the chief of neuropathology at the V.A. Boston Healthcare System and a professor of neurology and pathology at Boston University School of Medicine, conducted the examination and determined that Stabler had “moderately severe disease.”

The list of former NFL players found to have CTE, discovered by Dr. Bennett Omalu (portrayed by actor Will Smith in the movie "Concussion"), is now well over 100. The list of athletes showing signs of the disease is a who's who of former NFL greats, including Junior Seau, Mike Webster, Frank Gifford and now Stabler.

“Pretty classic," Dr. McKee said. "It may be surprising since he was a quarterback, but certainly the lesions were widespread, and they were quite severe, affecting many regions of the brain.”

The lefthanded Stabler was known for his free-wheeling style in a 15-year career with the Raiders, earning the nickname "Snake." He won the MVP in 1974, went to four Pro Bowls and led the Raiders to a Super Bowl XI victory over the Minnesota Vikings in the 1977 season. He often scrambled around recklessly yet effectively to extend plays and author highlight-reel moments swashbuckling Raiders of the 1970s. Stabler's final year in the NFL was 1984 with the New Orleans Saints.

We're in an era now where quarterbacks are far better protected and insulated from extra damage than they were a generation ago, and it appears that Stabler's style and a long career made him susceptible to damage that we normally assume happens more often with other positions. Such is the scary unknown of the disease that is being discovered in more former NFL greats after they die.

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Eric Edholm is a writer for Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at edholm@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Eric_Edholm