Patrick Risha CTE Awareness Foundation

10/19/2026

Every athlete has a journey, but the coach they play for shapes it more than anything else. Former college player and coach Mike Kapusta shares what he wishes every coach understood about developing athletes as players and as people.

If you want to build a program athletes remember for the right reasons, this is a must-watch.

Visit StopCTE.org for more information.

10/18/2026

The hardest part about CTE isn’t knowing exactly when it begins.

It’s that the changes associated with CTE can develop over time—and the disease can only currently be confirmed after death.

So while an athlete is playing, they may not know what years of repetitive head impacts could mean for their future.

That uncertainty matters.

Because you don’t get to rewind the hits.

Learn how you can help stop CTE. Visit our website to learn more www.stopcte.org

👉🏼 Follow Patrick Risha CTE Awareness

10/15/2026

Pat McAfee is calling on the NFL to give former players lifetime health insurance following a major new CTE study that found at least 1 in 4 former NFL players who died between 2016 and 2021 had the disease.

“Lifetime medical, that seems like a layup for some NFL insurance partner. I don’t know how that hasn’t happened yet. That feels like a very stupid hill to die on.”

McAfee argued that with the league generating enormous revenue and more research continuing to show the long-term health risks associated with football, lifetime medical coverage should be an obvious benefit for players who spent years putting their bodies on the line.

Vested NFL players currently receive five years of extended medical coverage after leaving the league, along with access to several other long-term health and wellness programs.

But universal lifetime health insurance is still not guaranteed.

The timing of McAfee’s comments is especially notable after the new CTE study found that 215 of 235 donated brains from former NFL players who died during that six-year span were diagnosed with CTE.

Researchers also found that former NFL players had roughly four times the rate of death from neurodegenerative disease compared with the general population.

McAfee’s message is simple: if the NFL knows the physical toll can follow players for decades after retirement, their medical coverage should follow them too.

(Via The Pat McAfee Show)

10/15/2026

Concussion awareness matters. Safer practices matter.

But neither replaces preventing repetitive head impacts. A better helmet or post-concussion protocol cannot erase the risk of repeated blows.

CTE is associated with repetitive head impacts not just diagnosed concussions.

So don’t ask only:

“What happens after my child gets a concussion?”

Ask:

“How many head impacts can we prevent before a concussion occurs?”

Parents should ask coaches:

• How much contact happens in practice?
• How are head impacts reduced?
• Which drills can be taught without hitting?
• What rules discourage head contact?
• Is there a lower-contact option?

Protecting young brains starts before injury.

Manage concussions better. Prevent repetitive head impacts first.

Let’s protect our kids before it’s too late.

Visit our website at www.stopcte.org to learn more about our cause to stop CTE.

10/14/2026

Research is finding that repeated head impacts may trigger brain changes long before the hallmark tau changes associated with CTE become visible.

A 2025 NIH-funded study found lasting cellular changes including significant loss of certain neurons in the brains of younger athletes exposed to years of repetitive head impacts. Some of these changes were found even when detectable CTE tau pathology was absent.

That doesn’t mean every athlete exposed to head impacts will develop CTE.

It means the story may be more complicated than waiting for CTE to appear.

The brain may be changing before we have a way to see it.

And that’s exactly why researchers are looking earlier.

SOURCE: NIH / Nature, 2025

Visit StopCTE.org to learn more, access educational resources, and become part of the movement to protect today’s athletes and future generations.

10/13/2026

Emory University study for anti inflammatory drug…

A small Phase 2 trial will test an anti-inflammatory drug in former football players at high risk of chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

10/10/2026

ESPN asked more than 30 current and former NFL players how they think about CTE.

The answers weren’t simple.

Some are scared.
Some try to reduce their risk.
Some have retired early.
Some believe the rewards of football outweigh the possibility of what comes later.

Because for some players, football isn’t just a game.

It’s their career.
Their identity.
Their family’s future.

But here’s the uncomfortable question:

How much risk is too much when the consequences may not show up until years later?

The conversation about CTE isn’t about telling athletes what decision to make.

It’s about making sure they understand what they’re risking.

There may never be a risk-free version of football. But there should always be an informed choice.

Parents: ask the questions. Learn the risks. Have the conversation before the first hit—not after.

Your child’s future is bigger than the game.

Help us spread awareness about this PREVENTABLE DISEASE!

10/07/2026

Today, there is no definitive test that can diagnose CTE during life.

MRI, CT, PET and blood tests cannot currently confirm CTE. Researchers are actively working toward methods that could detect it while a person is alive.

That unanswered question is one of the biggest challenges in CTE research.

Until those diagnostic tools are perfected, a conclusive diagnosis remains possible only through post-mortem examination of brain tissue.

Visit StopCTE.org to learn more, access educational resources, and become part of the movement to protect today’s athletes and future generations.

10/05/2026

Every athlete has a journey, but the coach they play for shapes it more than anything else. Former college player and coach Mike Kapusta shares what he wishes every coach understood about developing athletes as players and as people.

If you want to build a program athletes remember for the right reasons, this is a must-watch.
Visit StopCTE.org for more information.

10/04/2026

CTE research depends on something incredibly personal:

Human brain tissue.

Brain donation allows researchers to study the physical changes associated with CTE and compare them with a person’s history, symptoms and experiences.

One donated brain can contribute to multiple research studies and potentially help researchers understand what happens to the brain after years of repetitive head impacts.

Sometimes, one person’s story can help unlock answers for thousands of others.

Learn how you can help stop CTE. Visit our website to learn more www.stopcte.org

👉🏼 Follow Patrick Risha CTE Awareness