When Aaron Hernandez, the former New England Patriots tight end, was convicted in 2015 of murdering a friend of his, questions arose: Did his years of butting heads on the football field contribute to his violent behavior off the field? And when he killed himself, in April, new questions were asked: Did football play a role in his suicide?
Now that the researchers have determined that Hernandez had a severe form of C.T.E., the degenerative brain disease tied to repeated head hits, such questions are being asked again about the relationship between football and his behavior, only this time by lawyers.