More details surrounding the death of former BC Lions quarterback Joe Kapp are coming to light.
The franchise legend passed away last year at the age of 85. He led the Lions to their first Grey Cup win in 1964 and later made the jump to the NFL, where he led the Minnesota Vikings to Super Bowl IV, which they lost.
The latest report surrounding his passing says that Kapp was diagnosed by doctors at UCSF with the “most advanced form of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE),” according to his family through the San Francisco Chronicle.
CTE cannot be diagnosed while people are living and can only be seen posthumously. The disease is caused by repeated blows to the head and is being discovered in more and more athletes, especially football players.
Some of the symptoms that people with CTE will experience include memory loss, an increased rate of dementia, depression, anger, and general brain fog. This is far from a comprehensive list, and symptoms can vary widely on a case-to-case basis. There is still a lot unknown about CTE, and research is ongoing on the relatively newly discovered condition.
Kapp’s family confirmed that he was suffering through some of these issues in his old age, including dementia, Parkinson’s disease, and severe memory problems.
“His brain was really under siege,” said wife Jennifer Kapp to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“I think Joe would be glad this came out,” she was quoted as saying later in the article. “And I think he’d want us to caution our grandkids not to play football.”
The topic of children playing football has become a hot discussion in recent years as there is an increasingly obvious connection made between the sport and head injuries.
The Lions have Kapp’s No. 22 retired. Years after playing for the team, he joined the front office as general manager. He played a large role in acquiring quarterback Doug Flutie, who would set several CFL records during his tenure with the team.
Kapp remains the only quarterback to have participated in the Rose Bowl, the Super Bowl, and the Grey Cup. He is also one of eight quarterbacks to have thrown seven touchdown passes in a single game.
Besides football, he also had an acting career that saw him star in several productions.