The Indianapolis Colts came up with a fantastic Week 3 win over the Houston Texans. Moving forward, the goal will be to build off of that momentum as players lay their bodies on the line each and every matchup. Football is an aggressive and violent sport that has not escaped the news cycle in recent years. All 32 NFL teams have guys suffering concussions on weekly bases, so it’s important to protect them as much as possible. Specifically, post-playing career issues with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) are sadly becoming more prominent.
ESPN released a journalistic piece on Wednesday that dove into what active players at the professional level are thinking about CTE. The real ask was if they would take a test diagnosing the condition if one was available.
Colts’ Mo Alie-Cox Gets Real About CTE
Mo Alie-Cox is 33 years old and is a veteran in the NFL. In a rather surprising answer, he said he would not take a test if it could diagnose him with CTE or not.
“I don’t think I would want to know, because then people will start treating you differently, looking at you differently,” Alie-Cox told ESPN.
The tight end went into detail about why he had this specific answer. It’s not that he doesn’t care about his health. In fact, having symptoms would lead to him changing his mind.
“When people get diagnosed with something, people start trying to baby you and things like that. I don’t think I would want to know. But I think if symptoms start to show, then of course I would, just to protect you and everyone else around you.”
The questions from ESPN were also hypothetical. There is no real way to address CTE right now, nor is there a way to diagnose it. Alie-Cox reflected on that.
“You can treat it if they end up finding a treatment for it. But right now there ain’t no treatment and no one knows how to diagnose it. So it’s a very complex situation you’re dealing with.”
Overall, CTE is a scary condition that comes from participating in intense sports such as football. Head trauma is something that doctors around the world are still navigating.
Alie-Cox Explains Why Some Players May Deny A Test
Each organization, like the Colts, has a 53-man roster. On top of this, there are practice squad players as well. Everyone’s situation is different, and Alie-Cox made sure to note that to ESPN.
“I think it just relates to what your situation is in life. Some guys have made more money, so it’s easier for them to just step away. Whereas some guys are scratching and clawing. They’re going to play ’til the wheels fall off.”
This is a stunning yet honest admission from the Colts’ tight end. If a diagnostic test for CTE was available, someone who is on the brink of breaking through and earning a big payday may decide knowing is not worth it in the exact moment.
One the other side of things, a veteran who has enough in the bank may just decide that it’s easy to walk away if a hypothetical test labeled him as positive for the disease.
Colts Tight End Has Stunning Comments About CTE