After suffering concussions in high school and college, Dick struggled unknowingly with the onset of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) dementia. For decades, he fought the demons trapping him in an ever-shrinking world: diminished short-term memory, limited executive functioning, interpersonal shortcomings, paranoia, and failed physical capabilities. As an athlete, he was revered, yet success turned traitor as getting his ''bell rung'' in football led to a world of confusion and confinement.
Nobody will remember a backup college quarterback, but Dick's story bridges the glamour of NFL football--its high-profile athletes and the preliminary $765 million settlement for CTE dementia--with the harsh reality that millions of former amateur players may be suffering anonymously with the same concussion-induced devastation of CTE dementia.
