Ralph Richard Wenzel (March 14, 1943 – June 18, 2012) was an American professional football player who was a guard for seven seasons for the Pittsburgh Steelers and San Diego Chargers.Schwarz, Alan. "Ralph Wenzel, Whose Dementia Helped Start a Debate, Dies at 69," The New York Times, Saturday, June 23, 2012.
Early onset of dementia Wenzel's name gained notoriety in late 2009, when Wenzel's wife, Dr. Eleanor Perfetto, testified on Wenzel's dementia. Perfetto testified that Wenzel's football career probably had a causal effect with his dementia.
Wenzel was later confirmed to have chronic traumatic encephalopathy(CTE).Ken Belson and Alan Schwarz, The N.F.L.'s Tragic C.T.E. Roll Call, The New York Times, March 15, 2016 He is one of at least 345 NFL players to be diagnosed after death with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which is caused by repeated hits to the head.
References