Tony Dorsett on CTE: Didn't know 'the end was going to be like this'
Dorsett spoke about head injuries, DeMarco Murray and more in an interview.
By
Jared Dubin
•
1 min read
In an interview with the Dallas Morning News, former Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Dorsett said of his Chronic Traumatic Ecephalopathy (CTE), "I signed up for this when, I guess, I started playing football so many years ago. But, obviously, not knowing that the end was going to be like this. But I love the game. The game was good to me. It's just unfortunate that I’m going through what I'm going through. I'm in the fight, man. I'm not just laying around letting this overtake me. I'm fighting. I'm in the battle. I'm hoping we can reverse this thing somehow."
Dorsett let on that he occasionally forgets how to go places he has been many times and that he's battled depression and dementia as a result of his CTE. However, Dorsett said he would still let his son play football, given what we know now about injuries. "Yes I would," he said. "I would just be a little bit more concerned about certain injuries. When I was playing, my whole mentality was that if I could walk I'd play."
Dorsett also spoke about several Cowboys-related issues. Of his friend and fellow former Cowboy Charles Haley making the Hall of Fame, Dorsett said, "Now it's like he's in football heaven. The NFL Hall of Fame is a great, great accomplishment. I'm very happy for him." And about DeMarco Murray's great season during which he led the NFL in rushing yards, Dorsett said, "Let me tell ya. What a surprise. I was really taken back by the season that DeMarco Murray had. He showed up week in and week out. The thing about it is that he has a big, strong offensive line. They complement each other quite well."
