Tony Dorsett diagnosed with degenerative brain disease after football concussions

Tony Dorsett 2005, Getty Images

(USA TODAY) Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is as familiar to football fans as a torn ACL or ruptured Achilles. It's the degenerative brain disease that has been blamed for the suicide and untimely deaths of players including Junior Seau, Dave Duerson and Chris Henry. 

PARENTS' GUIDE | Concussions in youth football

Some researchers have linked CTE to football head trauma and cited long term effects such as depression and dementia. The unfortunate truth of the disease was it could not be diagnosed until after death.However, UCLA researchers have preliminary results on a test to diagnose signs of CTE in living former players. 

Among those diagnosed in the initial sample group is Tony Dorsett, the Hall-of-Famer who is now 59 and struggling with depression, emotional outbursts and memory loss.

READ how Georgia Southern is researching concussion risks

He spoke to ESPN's Outside the Lines about how it's affecting his life."It's painful, man, for my daughters to say they're scared of me. I've thought about crazy stuff, sort of like, 'Why do I need to continue going through this?'" he said. "I'm too smart of a person, I like to think, to take my life, but it's crossed my mind."

The report said researchers notified Dorsett Monday. In an appearance Wednesday on ESPN, Dorsett acknowledged he had been tested at UCLA and received results.

"I'm trying to be proactive rather than reactive," he said.  Joe DeLamiellure and Leonard Marshall are going through similar problems, and were also diagnosed with signs of CTE. The NFL recently settled a lawsuit with former players over ongoing health issues from concussions (including a Dorsett), so these men are likely not alone.While it's heartbreaking that these men are dealing with this diseased at such a young age, it's also good news that researchers are getting closer to diagnosing, and possibly treating, CTE in the living.

Courtesy Maggie Hendricks USA TODAY (Gary Mihoces contributed to this report)

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