| No. 22, 26 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Position: | Safety | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: | November 28, 1960 Muncie, Indiana, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died: | February 17, 2011 (aged 50) Sunny Isles Beach, Florida, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height: | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight: | 207 lb (94 kg) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| High school: | Muncie Northside | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College: | Notre Dame | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft: | 1983 / round: 3 / pick: 64 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
David Russell Duerson (November 28, 1960 –February 17, 2011) was an American professional football player who was a safety in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Chicago Bears. As a member of the Bears, he was selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls from 1985 to 1988 and was part of the 1985 defense that won the franchise's first Super Bowl in Super Bowl XX. He also played for the New York Giants and Phoenix Cardinals, winning Super Bowl XXV with the former. Contents
At age 50, Duerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. Following his request, his brain was sent to the Boston University School of Medicine for research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). Neurologists at Boston University confirmed that Duerson had CTE as a result of the concussions he had during his playing career. Early lifeBorn and raised in Muncie, Indiana, Duerson played football, basketball, and baseball at Northside High School. Duerson's honors during his high school years included the 1979 Indiana Mr. Football. [1] College careerDuerson played college football at the University of Notre Dame from 1979 to 1982, [2] and graduated with honors, with a BA in economics. He started all four years for the Fighting Irish, and earned recognition as an All-American in 1981 and 1982. Duerson was a captain and the team's MVP as a senior in 1982, intercepting seven passes and returning them for 104 yards. He finished his college career with 12 interceptions, which he returned for 256 yards and a touchdown. He also returned 103 punts for 869 yards and 3 kickoffs for 75. [3] He was the winner of the Edward "Moose" Krause Distinguished Service Award in 1990 by the Notre Dame Monogram Club, of which he was a past president. He was also a member of the University of Notre Dame Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2005. [2] Professional careerTaken in the third round of the 1983 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, Duerson was selected to four consecutive Pro Bowls (1986–1989). He won two Super Bowl championship rings, with the 1985 Bears (XX), and 1990 Giants (XXV). [4] During the 1986 season, Duerson set an NFL record that stood for 19 years (Adrian Wilson, 2005) for most sacks in a season by a defensive back, with seven. He also intercepted six passes for 139 yards with a longest return of 38 yards. At season's end, Duerson was named first-team All-Pro by Pro Football Weekly , the Pro Football Writers Association and The Sporting News and second-team All-Pro by the Associated Press. In 1987, Duerson was the recipient of the NFL Man of the Year Award. In his 11 seasons, Duerson recorded 20 interceptions, which he returned for 226 yards, and 16 quarterback sacks. He also recovered five fumbles, returning them for 47 yards and a touchdown. After footballDuerson owned three McDonald's restaurants in Louisville, Kentucky for six months, from late 1994 to April 1995. He purchased the majority interest in Fair Oaks Farms (formerly Brooks Sausage Company) in 1995. [5] He sold his stake in the company in 2002 and started Duerson Foods, but that company was forced into receivership in 2006 and most of its assets were auctioned off. [6] DeathDuerson was found dead at his Sunny Isles Beach, Florida [7] home on February 17, 2011. The Miami-Dade County medical examiner reported that Duerson died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. [8] He sent a text message to his family saying he wanted his brain to be used for research at the Boston University School of Medicine, which is conducting research into chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a neurodegenerative disease, which can be caused by playing football. [9] He left behind three sons and a daughter from his marriage to ex-wife Alicia. [8] He was buried in the Cedar Grove Cemetery in Notre Dame, Indiana. On May 2, 2011, neurologists at Boston University confirmed that Duerson had CTE, which is caused by repeated hits to the head. [10] He was one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with this disease. [11] [12] In popular mediaDuerson was portrayed by actor Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje in the 2015 film Concussion . Duerson's family was displeased with how he was portrayed. [13] Duerson was also mentioned in the HBO series Ballers in reference to CTE with character Ricky Jerret. See alsoRelated Research Articles Paul Vernon Hornung, nicknamed "the Golden Boy", was an American professional football halfback and kicker who played for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 to 1966.  Charles Aaron "Bubba" Smith was an American professional football defensive end and actor. Smith played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Baltimore Colts, Oakland Raiders, and Houston Oilers.  Nicholas Anthony Buoniconti was an American professional football player who was a middle linebacker in the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Buoniconti played professionally for the Boston Patriots and Miami Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls with the Dolphins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2001.  Michael Lewis Webster was an American professional football center in the National Football League (NFL) from 1974 to 1990 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Kansas City Chiefs. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, class of 1997. Nicknamed "Iron Mike", Webster anchored the Steelers' offensive line during much of their run of four Super Bowl victories from 1974 to 1979 and is considered by many the greatest center in NFL history. Jacob E. Scott III was an American professional football player who was a safety and punt returner from 1970 to 1978 for the Miami Dolphins and Washington Redskins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Georgia, and was selected by the Dolphins in the in the seventh round of the 1970 NFL draft. Mosiula Faasuka Tatupu was an American professional football player who was a running back for 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at the University of Southern California (USC). He played in the NFL as a running back and on special teams with New England Patriots from 1978 to 1990 and the Los Angeles Rams in 1991. He was elected to the Pro Bowl in 1986. He became a football coach after his playing career.  Ollie Genoa Matson II was an American Olympic medal winning sprinter and professional football player. He played as a halfback and return specialist in the National Football League (NFL) from 1952 to 1966 for the Chicago Cardinals and the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football for the San Francisco Dons and was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 1952 NFL draft.  Robert William Lytle was an American football running back who played for the Denver Broncos in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons.  Earl Edwin Morrall was an American professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 21 seasons, both a starter and reserve. He was the last remaining player from the 1950s still active in NFL football. He started for six teams, most notably with the Baltimore Colts and the Miami Dolphins. He became known as one of the greatest backup quarterbacks in NFL history, having served in the capacity for two Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Johnny Unitas and Bob Griese. An injury to Unitas in 1968 saw Morrall step in to start the season that saw the Colts to a 13–1 record that saw them win their first NFL Championship in nine years before ineffective play in Super Bowl III saw him benched for Unitas. Two years later, in Super Bowl V, Morrall came off the bench for an injured Unitas and kept the Colts in the game before they ultimately won on a last-second field goal. In his first season with Miami in 1972, he came off the bench when Griese became injured early in the year, with Morrall winning all nine starts; Morrall started the first two playoff games, with Griese playing in each game before being named the starter for Super Bowl VII, where the Dolphins completed the only perfect season in NFL history.  Robert John Kuechenberg was an American professional football player who was a guard in the National Football League (NFL) for the Miami Dolphins for 14 seasons between 1970 and 1983, spending the 1984 season on injured reserve. He was a mainstay in a line that included Hall of Famers Jim Langer, Larry Little, and Dwight Stephenson and played in six Pro Bowls in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was selected as one of the top 15 finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame from 2002 to 2006, and one of the top 17 finalists from 2007 to 2009, but missed the cut every year. He was inducted into the Miami Dolphin's Honor Roll on December 15, 1995. He was the brother of the retired Chicago Bears linebacker Rudy Kuechenberg. Peter Nicholas Duranko was an American professional football player who was a defensive end for the Denver Broncos of the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Duranko was an All-American and a member of Notre Dame's 1966 national champion team. He was selected by the Broncos in the 1966 AFL draft and was also chosen by the Cleveland Browns in the NFL draft. He played in 98 games for Denver in an eight-year career from 1967 through 1974. After sitting out the 1975 season due to injury, he was one of the first free agent signings of the NFL's expansion Tampa Bay Buccaneers on January 27, 1976, however, he did not make the roster and was released by the Buccaneers on July 18, 1976, before the franchise played its first preseason game. Fulton Luther Walker Jr. was an American professional football player who was a cornerback for the Miami Dolphins from 1981 to 1985 and Los Angeles Raiders from 1985 to 1986 of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He graduated from Martinsburg High School and West Virginia University.  Chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) is a neurodegenerative disease linked to repeated trauma to the head. The encephalopathy symptoms can include behavioral problems, mood problems, and problems with thinking. The disease often gets worse over time and can result in dementia. Charles Raymond White was an American professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons from 1980 to 1988. He played college football for the USC Trojans, where he was a twice unanimous All-American and the winner of the Heisman Trophy. He was selected by the Cleveland Browns in the first round of the 1980 NFL draft. He also played for the Los Angeles Rams. Shane Dronett was an American professional football player who was a defensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL) for the Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons between 1992 and 2002. He was a starter for the Falcons in Super Bowl XXXIII. Before playing in the NFL he was an All-American college football player for the Texas Longhorns. He took his own life in 2009, an outcome that may have been related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy that resulted from his football career. Frederick Arnold McNeill was an American professional football player who was a linebacker for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons from 1974 to 1985. He played college football for the UCLA Bruins. In 1973, he was named to the All-Coast/Conference First-team. McNeil was selected by the Vikings in the first round of the 1974 NFL draft with the 17th overall selection. He was the first person to have been diagnosed with CTE while alive and have it confirmed following his death. James Clark Hudson was a professional American football defensive back. He was one of the first players to ever win a national championship in college and a Super Bowl as a professional. Hudson played for the New York Jets from 1965 to 1970, playing in both the American Football League (AFL) and National Football League (NFL). He started in Super Bowl III for the Jets, and made a key interception just before the end of the first half. Charles Ray Easterling was an American football safety in the National Football League (NFL). He graduated from the University of Richmond in 1972 and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the ninth round of the 1972 NFL draft.  Tyler Jordan Sash was an American football safety for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes and the New York Giants of the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Giants in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft.  Concussion is a 2015 American biographical sports drama film written and directed by Peter Landesman, based on the exposé "Game Brain" by Jeanne Marie Laskas, published in 2009 by GQ magazine. Set during the 2000s, the film stars Will Smith as Bennet Omalu, a forensic pathologist who fights against the National Football League trying to suppress his research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) brain degeneration suffered by professional football players. References
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