https://sports.yahoo.com/former-nfl-cb-phillip-adams-had-severe-cte-before-allegedly-killing-6-people-and-himself-170040891.html

Yahoo Sports

Former NFL CB Phillip Adams had 'severe' CTE when he allegedly killed 6
people and himself

Liz Roscher
Tue, December 14, 2021, 12:00 PM

Phillip Adams, a former NFL cornerback who was accused of shooting six
people to death before killing himself in April, had "unusually severe"
chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease
associated with head trauma and concussions.

The results of Adams' brain examination were announced Tuesday by Dr.
Anne McKee, a neuropathologist who serves as director of Boston
University's CTE Center. She compared Adams' brain to the brain of Aaron
Hernandez, the former New England Patriots player who took his own life
in 2017 while serving a life sentence for murder. Hernandez was found to
have Stage 3 CTE when his brain was examined after his death, with
severe damage to the frontal lobes.

"Mr. Adams' CTE pathology was different than the other young NFL players
with CTE," McKee said. "It was different in that it was unusually severe
in both frontal lobes."

McKee diagnosed Adams with Stage 2 CTE. Symptoms of Stage 2 include
depression, mood swings and short-term memory loss. A smaller percentage
of people with Stage 2 can also experience impulsivity and suicidal
thoughts.

Police say Adams, 32, shot and killed six people in Rock Hill, South
Carolina on April 7. Local physician Robert Lesslie, his wife, Barbara,
and two of their grandchildren, 9-year-old Adah Lesslie and 5-year-old
Noah Lesslie, were all killed, as were two HVAC technicians working at
the Lesslie home, James Lewis and Robert Shook. Police found Adams in
the home with a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Adams played for six different teams over six seasons in the NFL,
including the San Francisco 49ers, New England Patriots and Oakland
Raiders. He suffered multiple concussions during his career, including
two over a three-game span in 2012.

A representative for Adams' family told WCNC that he had been
"desperately seeking help" from the NFL, but because he had issues
completing tasks and problems with his short-term memory, all his claims
were denied.

Adams' sister Lauren told USA Today the day after the shooting deaths
that her brother's mental health had been in steep decline for several
years. More recently, he'd stopped dating, withdrawn from his family and
friends and began neglecting his personal hygiene.