Former WWE RAW commentator and General Manager Mike Adamle has recently revealed that he has dementia, possibly caused by CTE.
Long before he ever thought about joining the WWE, Adamle played in the NFL for six years in the 1970s, as a running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets and Chicago Bears. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, more commonly known as CTE, is a brain degenerative disease that afflicts many football players, stemming from several years of repeated concussions.
Adamle had been working as a sports anchor for NBC 5 in Chicago, but he hasn't appeared on the broadcast since last March. Adamle confessed to having mood swings, depression, memory lapses and anxiety. His doctors believe there is a good chance he could have CTE, but the disease cannot be tested for until a patient dies.
"I've been on short-term disability and then long-term disability," Adamle told NBC 5. "I've had seizures and epilepsy for the last 19 years.
"[My doctor said] we see some things that are concurrent with CTE . I'm going, 'What? How can you say that? I thought it was supposed to happen after you pass away.'"
Adamle explained his symptoms to reporter Peggy Kusinski. "Here's what happens. You come over and you can do an interview with me and you'll leave and I'll say, 'Oh God who is that?'" Adamle told Kusinski. "Watching a movie last night -- this happened last night -- five seconds into it, I'll say 'What are we watching?'"
When asked about how many concussions he had while playing football, Adamle said he couldn't remember. But despite his current condition, even if it was proven that football caused this to happen to him, Adamle says: "I would do it again. I would tell you what, though, I would work harder in the offseason to find out about things that protect you when you play."
You can watch the full NBC 5 report at this link.