A study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published in May's American Journal of Sports Medicine did not find that retired NFL players are more likely to commit suicide than the general population.
According to Tom Pelissero of USA Today, the study tracked 3,439 former players who competed in the league from 1959 through 1988. Twelve of them committed suicide as opposed to the expected number of 25 when taking into account a comparable cross-section of the population comprised of people who did not play football.