Former NFL star Frank Wiczek suffered from CTE before his death, researchers say

The late Frank Wyczek, remembered for the passage that opened the iconic play “Musical Miracle City,” suffered from advanced stage chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), the researchers said.

Wycheck died in December 2023 after a fall at his home in Tennessee. He made it clear that he wanted to work with experts in the research of TBI and related brain injuries.

A study of Wiecek’s brain by researchers at Boston University’s Center for Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy confirmed the former Tennessee Titans The star tight end also suffered from a degenerative brain disease in his later years.

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

Wiecek was diagnosed with stage III CTE. 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 Mayo Clinic.

2017 study by Boston University’s CTE Center concluded that 99% of former NFL players had at least traces of the neurodegenerative disease in their brains. Researchers studied the brains of 202 former football players.

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It featured Wiczek, a three-time Pro Bowl tight end NFL from 1993 to 2003, starting with Washington and ending his career with the Houston Oilers organization, which moved to Tennessee and became the Titans.

In a statement, Wiecek’s family said they are grateful for the diagnosis, which they believe further highlights the concerns surrounding CTE in contact sports such as football. They want to honor his legacy with a greater commitment to player safety and support for those affected by head injuries.

His daughters said their family had trouble understanding both the physical and mental changes Wiczek was going through, thinking he was simply losing focus on his career.

Frank Wiczek celebrates the Tennessee Titans’ win over the Pittsburgh Steelers in an AFC Divisional playoff game in Nashville, January 11, 2003. (Simon Brutti/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)

“We witnessed how our father became increasingly isolated and experienced sudden mood swings. He became more impulsive, often inconsistent and unreliable,” said Deanna Wyczek Szabo in a statement. “Now, in retrospect, I realize he suffered from the symptoms of CTE because of the repeated trauma his brain and body endured over 11 seasons in the NFL.”

Former Tennessee Titans tight end Frank Wiczek runs onto the field before the game against the San Diego Chargers at LP Field on September 22, 2013. in Nashville. (Frederic Breedon/Getty Images)

Szabo said Wiecek loved football and his teammates. She said he fought for years after his retirement to bring attention to the symptoms and struggles he knew stemmed from CTE, feeling too often ignored and helpless. Szabo also said she wishes her family had been educated about the symptoms of CTE so they know what to look for, and now hopes to increase intervention, education and support for NFL alumni and their families.

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“Instead of believing that there was something wrong with him, we now know that he was doing the best he could as a father and a friend under circumstances that were beyond his control,” Szabo said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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