He played in 4 superbowls, All-pro 7 years, All AFC 5 times, and 9 pro-bowls. It was kind of like, whats the point of having something if its basically impossible for people to get a pension? Serving as a backup at center and guard for two years while being mentored by veteran center Ray Mansfield, Webster became the team's starting center in 1976, where he remained for 150 consecutive games. Other players who retired because of the effects of concussion or other head injuries include Johnny Unitas, Roger Staubach, Merril Hoge, Troy Aikman, Steve Young, Dave Pear, Wayne Chrebet, and Al Toon. Michael Lewis Webster (March 18, 1952 - September 24, 2002) was an American football player who played center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. draft until the fifth round, when he was selected by the Steelers. Continuing with this request will add an alert to the cemetery page and any new volunteers will have the opportunity to fulfill your request. An hour later, standing on the sidelines watching practice, Maddox complains to me: Im really upset that they wont let me play.. Mike Webster works for the University of St Andrews. I know growing up, one of the biggest things that was tough was having people that you could tell things to and you can relate to. 5% of soccer players sustain brain injuries as a result of their sport. // -->. Why does the NFLPA Want to Stop Leaping Field Goal Blocks? Like in the Concussion movie, he had spent years battling depression, dementia, amnesia, and severe back pain. A system error has occurred. Site Map | Mike would be the first one at the stadium and the last to leave, he was so afraid to fail, recalls Pamela. He tried to stay low-key, says Moon Area High Schools football coach Mark Capuano. Finally, later that night he let Jani drive him there; doctors said hed had a heart attack. He played in 4 superbowls, All-pro 7 years, All AFC 5 times, and 9 pro-bowls. [/pullquote]. In 1999, he was ranked number 75 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Football Players. Webster attended Rhinelander High School, where he earned accolades in wrestling. Ive been in 350,000 car accidents, Mike replied. An avid weightlifter, Webster was known for playing with bare arms to keep opponents from grabbing his sleeves. Webster has firsthand experience of how devastating diseases like CTE can be on entire families and because of that, he not only wants to work toward preventing it from happening to others but support those who are enduring the pain as he did. games, including 177 in a row. In the autopsy room, Omalu snapped on his gloves and approached the slab. A forensic pathologist, Omalu conducted the autopsy of Pittsburgh Steelers center Mike Webster, which led to his discovery of a new disease that he named chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. In October 1999, Webster was awarded an NFL disability for traumatic brain injury. He had been receiving money from annuities and the disability paymentmuch of it went to alimony and child supportbut the IRS then garnished almost all of his income for unpaid taxes. But then, Maddox wasnt there at Mike Websters funeral. Your Scrapbook is currently empty. There was no work around and there was nobody for his family to reach out to and get help from. He wasnt eligible, to be honest. Mike Webster, nicknamed - Iron Mike, was an American professional football player who played center for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1974 to 1988. You may not upload any more photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 20 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 5 photos to this memorial, This photo was not uploaded because this memorial already has 30 photos, This photo was not uploaded because you have already uploaded 15 photos to this memorial. In its March 2003 issue, Reader's Digest wrote about Webster's shattered life. Some states may prohibit or restrict the solicitation of donations via the Internet or web sites. Family members linked to this person will appear here. He discovered that Webster . Since then we have had some positive instances, in the past couple of years, but overall its been the same thing, over and over again is that instead of people being like this is great, we know about this now so lets fix it, its been more of that asshole ruined things for everybody, you know, and thats, you know, that continues to be the hardest part.. All photos appear on this tab and here you can update the sort order of photos on memorials you manage. Webster recounts the frustration and struggles. He said he was using the drug to treat brain damage caused by repeated head injuries that had led him to behave erratically. Half-Time in the CBA A conversation with Ben Leber, Report Released By Cyrus Mehri Details Anti-Labor Stance Within NFLPA, Cyrus Mehris Candidacy Reveals New NFLPA Constitution and Fresh Vision for Players Union, How the NFLPA may have fumbled player safety. If you notice a problem with the translation, please send a message to [emailprotected] and include a link to the page and details about the problem. He was an undersized 225-pound center at the University of Wisconsin who lingered in the N.F.L. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. I was born in 1984 and my sister Hillary was born in 1987, Garrett Webster said. Those proteins are seen through a microscope as red specs. Greenwood 11 a.m. Monday, Steelers 2023 Pre-NFL Draft visit Tracker, Steelers ticket prices holding steady for 2023, Explaining the differences in ruling a touchdown in the NFL. It was Omalus job to measure the damage. [1], Webster died in 2002 at the age of 50 of a heart attack, and subsequently was the first former NFL player diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Mike Webster died of a heart attack at age 50 on September 24, 2002, at a Pittsburgh hospital. The original plan was that he would retire as a Steeler and then he was going to coach, Webster recounted. (That payout ended with his death, but his two youngest children now receive $1500 a month each. Two Very Different NFLs for Andrew Luck and Amon Gordon, Andrew Lucks retirement, and pain he endured, hit close to home for former Charger, Brain Injury Casts a Dark Cloud Over NFLs 100th Season, New Report Projects Minimum 10% of NFL Players will Develop CTE, Tamarick Vanover chronicles classic story of disposable NFL players, The story of Bill Cesare demonstrates how little the NFL and NFLPA do to take care of former players, The Story of an NFL Wife a Conversation with Cyndy Feasel. Year should not be greater than current year. I remember my dads last game at Pittsburgh. Indirectly, football was his life, and it was what cost him his life. 10% of all contact sport athletes sustain concussions yearly. In high school, Webster moved in with his dad, and went out for wrestling, then football. If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. My dad said to me many times, especially when things were really bad, hed say, I want to work. While at the University of Wisconsin on a football scholarship, he met his future wife, Pamela, who worked in the athletic department ticket office. There is 1 volunteer for this cemetery. Its the number one cause of death in children and young adults. It is with great sadness that we announce the death of Michael Allen Webster (Knoxville, Tennessee), who passed away on February 24, 2023, at the age of 65, leaving to mourn family and friends. But Webster refused his panicked sons entreaties to go to a hospital, in part because he didnt have insurance. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Mike Iron Mike Webster I found on Findagrave.com. Professional Football Player. When we heard about it, it sounded wonderful. I do actively seek out sons, daughters and family members of NFL players. Of the 22 players who were part of all four Steeler Super Bowl teams, Webster was the last to leave and the first to die. To add a flower, click the Leave a Flower button. We were picked up in a limousine and all of us just thought that was the coolest thing. Jani began to handle the increasingly frequent crises, bailing Webster out of awkward jams. There's a broad definition of what living out of your car is. He couldnt concentrate, he had difficulty focusing, the conversation was rambling. Krieg adds there was no other explanation for Websters deterioration; the repeated banging of his brain against his skull had damaged the brains nerve cells. Michael Lewis "Mike" Webster was an American football player who played as a center in the National Football League from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Ste. Webster's erratic habits and continued absences contributed to a breakup of his marriage, and his former wife, Pamela, said she had to sell their house and car and take a job as a cleaning woman. He also relished his indestructible image. Doctor's Catholic Faith Guided His Investigation of NFL Star's Death Dr. Bennet Omalu's determination to learn what caused Mike Webster's premature death has borne fruit, in the discovery. In his last year in Pittsburgh, Webster returned the favor by mentoring the then-rookie Dawson in the same manner Mansfield had mentored Webster earlier in his career. Prosecutors just showed an image of Michael Jackson 's dead, naked body sprawled on a gurney -- taken hours after the singer died. Steelers legendary center Mike Webster was simply not himself after his career ended. It started with Mike Webster's brain. Privacy Policy. That same year, his lawyer, Robert Fitzsimmons, finally won Webster a $115,000 yearly payment from the NFL for a football-related disability. Pittsburgh Steeler center Mike Webster was the first NFL player Omalu autopsied. Often unable to pay for medicine, Webster would shake so hard he couldnt drive his son to school. [14], In his last years Webster lived with his youngest son, Garrett, who though only a teenager at the time, moved from Wisconsin to Pittsburgh to care for his father. Traumatic brain injuries cause 1.5 times more deaths than AIDS. It was all the normal things you hear from athletes when they retire.. Were definitely part of that. Mike Webster, nicknamed "Iron Mike," was a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers who passed away of a heart attack in 2002 at age 50. "If you take out the head injuries, Dad was ruled completely disabled from football," Webster explained. [dropcap]S[/dropcap]oon after his last season in 1990, Webster moved, at his wifes urging, back to her hometown of Lodi, Wisconsin. But since he passed away, nobody in the family gets any more of that pension.. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. . That stuff gets passed on through the grapevine. But I do promise you this: No matter what happens, I will answer the charges. Struggles adjusting to life after football is a common issue with former players, and Webster, the last of the four-ring Steelers from the 1970s, had a tougher time than most. Failed to delete memorial. I dont think he cared about being a hero, he just liked the game.. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. I just thought he was angry at me all the time.. 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