Researchers diagnose case of CTE in former MLS player for 1st time

Researchers have diagnosed chronic traumatic encephalopathy in a Major League Soccer player for the first time, saying Tuesday that former Sporting Kansas City defender Scott Vermillion suffered from the degenerative brain disease.

The Boston University CTE Center said Vermillion, who died of an accidental drug overdose in December 2020 at the age of 44, had CTE. Although it is not possible to connect any individual case to a cause, the disease has been linked to repeated blows to the head.

CTE has been found in more than 100 former NFL players as well as semi-pro and high school soccer players. Vermillion is the first from MLS.

Vermillion began playing soccer at the age of 5 and continued for 22 years, culminating in four MLS seasons for D.C. United, the Colorado Rapids and Sporting KC. He also played for the United States at the 1993 Under-17 World Championship and made some appearances for the Under-20 team in 1996.

After retiring in 2001 with an ankle injury, his family said, he became depressed and had problems with impulse control and aggression. Eventually, he suffered from memory loss and developed a substance abuse problem.

All have been associated with CTE, which has been linked to concussions or sub-concussive blows in athletes, combat veterans and others who sustain repeated head trauma.

"This disease destroys families, and not just football families," said Vermillion's father, Dave Vermillion. "We hope this will be a wake-up call to the soccer community to support former players and get them the help they need, so some good can come from this tragedy."

The MLS Players Association called upon the league to break with the sport's international governing bodies and adopt a rule expanding substitutions to allow