Ben Roethlisberger tied Webster's record in the 2018 season, and broke it in 2019[9], While, at the time of his retirement, the Steelers were no longer officially retiring jersey numbers, Webster's No. The head is involved in more baseball injuries than any other body part. I couldnt leave him in that situation, Garrett recalls. This memorial has been copied to your clipboard. When he got to Kansas City that was a clear break, like in a movie. Additional funding is provided by the Abrams Foundation; the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation; Park Foundation; the Heising-Simons Foundation; and the FRONTLINE Journalism Fund with major support from Jon and Jo Ann Hagler on behalf of the Jon L. Hagler Foundation, and additional support from Koo and Patricia Yuen. FRONTLINE is a registered trademark of WGBH Educational Foundation. The patient on the table was Mike Webster, a former center for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Webster was also one of the first former NFL players to be diagnosed post-mortem with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This browser does not support getting your location. Please contact Find a Grave at [emailprotected] if you need help resetting your password. He invited me in. Webster - aka 'Iron Mike' - died of a heart attack in 2002. Please reset your password. He didnt want necessarily them to come kiss his ass and be like, oh, youre Mike Webster, heres a free job for doing nothing, Webster continued. No animated GIFs, photos with additional graphics (borders, embellishments. The email does not appear to be a valid email address. Three days earlier Maddox had suffered such a serious concussion during a game that he was temporarily paralyzed. He didnt watch the games, he didnt know the teams, and he certainly didnt know the name Mike Webster. Webster played center for 15 seasons (1974-88) for the Steelers and two seasons (1989-90) for the Kansas City Chiefs. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Limiting the medical jargon, when a brain suffers a direct injury, proteins form around the affected area. I could feel a pat on my shoulder, almost a whisper in my ear, Everythings going to be all right., On a chill afternoon in November, Steelers owner Dan Rooney sits in his office, fondly recalling Iron Mike. This is his story. When Webster was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, he chose Bradshaw to present him. 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.. Lets focus on the positive, on how these things can never happen again. His wife Pamela stated years later that she felt that she caused Webster's change in personality in the years before his death and placed guilt on herself over her decision to divorce Webster, until discovering after his death about the CTE diagnosis. Are you sure that you want to remove this flower? I do actively seek out sons, daughters and family members of NFL players. He is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Failed to delete memorial. This account has been disabled. Finally, later that night he let Jani drive him there; doctors said hed had a heart attack. One of the individuals who was instrumental in beginning the story was former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman Mike Webster through his family. Nothing on this site should be perceived as legal advice. '', At the time, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Webster was ''homeless, unemployed, deep in debt, beset with medical ailments, lacking health insurance, in the midst of divorce, in the care of a psychiatrist and on medication, and involved in a complex lawsuit over real estate investments.''. High school athletes recovery times for a sports concussion are longer than college athletes recovery times. We all worked hard, but none as hard as Mike did. My dad was just shocked because he did so much for these people. Mike Webster was a Hall of Fame center who spent 15 of his 17-year NFL career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Please try again later. That stuff gets passed on through the grapevine. Bennet Omalu, the forensic neuropathologist who did the autopsy, said death was due to heart. Webster's estate brought a lawsuit in Maryland's U.S. District Court against the National Football League. He would become the first football player. Inside Mike Websters brain, hed make a startling discovery:a disease never previously identified in football players. You look at the center position as the foundation, says legendary running back Franco Harris. That morning, on a stainless steel autopsy table inside the Allegheny County coroner's office in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, lay the body of Mike Webster, the legendary center of the Pittsburgh . Try again later. This guy thinks he can come up with an answer, a solid, concrete answer for why Dad struggled so much. I think my dad to a large extent was so hurt by leaving the Steelers. That changed in 2002 when Omalu was assigned to perform an autopsy on the legendary. Omalus conclusions confused the medical literature, they argued. He had such kindness in his heart, she recalls. Include gps location with grave photos where possible. GREAT NEWS! Contact Us | [15][16][17], Webster was cremated and his ashes were returned to his wife and their four children. Its essential to remind ourselves that behind those figures and words are families and personal stories. But since he passed away, nobody in the family gets any more of that pension.. Two years ago, Webster's son Garrett moved from Wisconsin to live with him in Pittsburgh. I saw changes that shouldnt be in a 50-year-old mans brains, and also changes that shouldnt be in a brain that looked normal.. Quickly see who the memorial is for and when they lived and died and where they are buried. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. On one occasion, Webster showed up at a game on crutches, with torn cartilage in his knee, played anyway and had surgery afterward. Drag images here or select from your computer for Mike Iron Mike Webster memorial. 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. Professional Football Player. Webster was never officially treated for a concussionHe never complained about anything like this, says Ralph Berlin, the Steelers trainer during Websters playing years. At the teams expense, Webster was put up for six weeks at the Pittsburgh Hilton, before decamping to a $25-a-night joint. [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. We talked and we talked frankly. They didnt. Leah Gray does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding . TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. The financial strain couldnt fully explain his increasingly bizarre behavior, however. Through interviews with former players, scientists and other experts on the concussion issue, it examines what the NFL knew about the risks of such injuries, and when it knew it. Even as a young boy, he saw that sports was a small-town way to shine. He died at age 50, possibly from brain injuries sustained from his work. I thought you might like to see a memorial for Mike Iron Mike Webster I found on Findagrave.com. The following years were rough for Websters family as his fathers cognitive decline affected his ability to provide for the family. This from a man who 72 hours earlier didnt know if hed ever walk again. Becoming a Find a Grave member is fast, easy and FREE. For memorials with more than one photo, additional photos will appear here or on the photos tab.