Kevin Turner has ALS

[Uncle Rico]

Ex-Patriot hit with ALS diagnosis - The Boston Globe

That stinks. Had some nice years for the Pats. I always remember in '94, they had Turner, Timpson and Thompson catching passes from second-year QB Drew Bledsoe. Some exciting games.

From the article:

The 41-year-old Alabama native is the 14th former National Football League player known to be diagnosed with the often-fatal and incurable nerve disorder since 1960. That’s a rate eight times higher than the rest of the adult male population.

So many former players have been diagnosed with ALS that the NFL is considering whether to provide benefits to help with their care, league spokesman Greg Aiello told the Globe yesterday.

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Ex-Patriot hit with ALS diagnosis - The Boston Globe

That stinks. Had some nice years for the Pats. I always remember in '94, they had Turner, Timpson and Thompson catching passes from second-year QB Drew Bledsoe. Some exciting games.

From the article:

There was an article this past week questioning whether repeated concussions can cause symptoms that mimic Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)

Did concussions play role in Lou Gehrig's disease? - CNN.com

 

[Gwedd]

There was an article this past week questioning whether repeated concussions can cause symptoms that mimic Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS)

Did concussions play role in Lou Gehrig's disease? - CNN.com

Yes indeed. I read that, and it makes sense. There's also a line of research that is beginning to believe that Alzheimer's Disease is actually a form of Diabetes, a "Type-3" if you will, as some patients have responded well to diabetes medications and dietary restrictions.

 

[Armchair Quarterback]

Here's another article on the subject.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/18/sports/18gehrig.html

 

[JoeSixPat]

Very sad to hear this... Turner was always one of my favorite players... I loved that era where FBs were a real running and pass catching threat, and I thought his contributions here were pretty under-rated.

It seems like he's being very open and frank about his demons with pain killers and depression, which really helps break down the stigma for other people to get help, and is now working very closely with the researchers in an effort to help others when he could justifiably take the "why me/anger" route and slip back into depression.

Somewhat odd, but it wouldn't surprise me over time if Turner's dignified struggles with ALS wind up being a more meaningful legacy than his time in the NFL ever could have been.

This should be a required read for all here:

http://www.boston.com/sports/footba...2010/08/21/ex_patriot_hit_with_als_diagnosis/

... it makes you proud to have someone like that associated with the Patriots. Like the rest of the world he's far from perfect, but should I ever get news like this I hope I can deal with it with at least half as much strength and dignity as Turner.

 

[PatsWickedPissah]

Awful news about a fine Patriots player. Best wishes to Kevin and the family.

"When the same group of researchers announced this week that they had linked CTE to a new ALS-like illness, Turner picked up the phone. He has since agreed to enroll in their research, which will include donating his brain and spinal cord after his death. The research is partly funded by the NFL."

Obviously Kevin still has his mental faculties, insisting on the "after" clause. The NFL couldn't fool him.