Former Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wycheck was diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) more than a year after his death at the age of 52, his family revealed.
Wycheck died on Dec. 9, 2023 after an apparent fall at his house. His family worked with researchers at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center to diagnose him with the neurodegenerative disease, which can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression in those who have suffered repetitive brain trauma.
Wycheck had Stage III CTE at the time of his death. Stage IV is the most severe form of the disease.
Wycheck played 11 seasons in the NFL, including nine standout years with the Titans and (Houston Oilers). He generated 505 catches, 5,126 yards and 28 touchdowns during his career but most famously tossed a lateral pass to receiver Kevin Dyson on the famed ‘Music City Miracle’ play.
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Wycheck’s effort on the play helped the Titans secure a 22-16 wild-card win over the Buffalo Bills en route to an appearance in Super Bowl 34. NFL.com named it the fourth-best play in league history in honor of the NFL’s 100th season in 2019.
Wycheck is survived by two daughters, Deanna Wycheck Szabo and Madison Wycheck Nowell, expressed gratitude for their father’s diagnosis in a statement provided by the family. They also noted that they hoped his death and diagnosis would shine a light on the disease, which greatly impacted Wycheck’s life and has been diagnosed in 345 of the 376 NFL players studied by Boston University’s CTE center as of February 2023.
‘My father put his body on the line throughout his career,’ Szabo said. ‘He loved the game and even more so loved his teammates. After retirement, he fought for years to bring light to his post-NFL journey and the fears he had around his struggles and symptoms that he knew whole-heartedly was CTE. He often felt forgotten and ignored, and that his situation was helpless.
‘Reflecting back, I wish our family had been educated on the signs and symptoms of CTE. Instead of believing that something was inherently wrong with him, we now know he was doing the best he could as a father and friend under circumstances beyond his control.
‘Our family is grateful to learn of his confirmed CTE diagnosis in hopes to continue our father’s desire to bring awareness, increased intervention, education, and support for NFL alumni and their families related to CTE. Our hope is that NFL alumni, who believe they are suffering from CTE, will be given the much-needed resources and guidance prior to their symptoms reaching a debilitating state. With on-going CTE research and diagnosis, we hope future NFL alumni and families will be explicitly given an outline and plan of action in receiving care and treatment. That’s what our father would have wanted.’
‘If one thing could come of this diagnosis, I pray that families all over the world would consider my dad’s story as a cautionary tale regarding the long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma in athletes and to carefully think about their careers in professional contact sports,’ Nowell said.
‘This is a disease that began affecting my dad very early in his life, and I believe played a significant part in taking him way too soon. My hope is that with increased awareness, research, and advocacy for player safety, we can help fellow families of minor and professional athletes continue to thrive, not only during their careers, but after playing the sport they love so they can continue to share their legacies with generations to come.’
