Former NFL star Frank Wycheck suffered from CTE prior to death, researchers say

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The late Frank Wycheck, who is remembered for the pass that started the iconic "Music City Miracle" play, suffered from an advanced stage of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), researchers said.

Wycheck died in December 2023 after he sustained a fall at his Tennessee home. He had made clear that he wished to work with experts on CTE research and related brain injuries. 

A study of Wycheck's brain conducted by researchers at Boston University’s Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center confirmed the former Tennessee Titans star tight end also suffered from the degenerative brain disease during the final years of his life. 

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Frank Wycheck of the Tennessee Titans on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals at the Adelphia Coliseum in Nashville, Dec. 10, 2000. (Scott Halleran/Allsport)

Wycheck was diagnosed with CTE stage III. Stage IV is the most severe form of the disease and can lead to dementia, memory loss and depression. CTE can occur after repeated head injuries, such as concussions or blows to the head, according to the Mayo Clinic. 

A 2017 study conducted by the Boston University CTE Center concluded that the brains of 99% of former NFL players had at least trace amounts of the neurodegenerative disease. Researchers studied the brains of 202 former football players.

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Wycheck, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end, played in the NFL from 1993 and 2003, starting with Washington and finishing his career with the Houston Oilers organization, which moved to Tennessee and became