Frank Wycheck diagnosed with CTE after being found dead in 2023 at age 52, his family announce

The family of late Tennessee Titans player Frank Wycheck has announced that he had CTE following his death in 2023 at the age of 52.

Wychceck died from a blow to the head after a fall at his home in Chattanooga, Tennessee in December 2023.

His two adult daughters have now announced that he suffered from the degenerative brain disease that can only be diagnosed after someone has died – and it comes years after Wycheck himself said he thought he had CTE.

“After my father’s retirement from professional football, our family faced challenges in understanding the physical and mental changes he was experiencing,” Deanna Wycheck said in a statement.

‘We initially thought it was simply an inability to adapt to ‘normal’ life after the intensity of being a professional athlete. We watched our father become increasingly isolated and experience drastic mood swings. He became more impulsive, and often inconsistent and unreliable.

“At the time, I wrongly attributed his struggles to missing the spotlight and camaraderie of his playing days.

“But now, in retrospect, I understand that he suffered from the symptoms of CTE as a result of the repetitive trauma his brain and body suffered over 11 seasons in the NFL.”

Wycheck, a tight end, retired from football in 2011 after 11 seasons in the NFL. He finished with 505 receptions, 5,126 yards and 28 touchdowns in 155 games.

After his playing career, Wycheck moved into media, providing color commentary for Titans radio. He was best known for his role in ‘Music City Miracle’ – a play from January 8, 2000, during the 1999-2000 NFL playoffs.

His daughter’s statement continued: “My father has put his body on the line throughout his career. He loved the game and his teammates even more.

“After his retirement, he fought for years to bring light to his post-NFL journey and the fears he had surrounding his struggles and symptoms that he knew with all his heart was CTE. He often felt forgotten and ignored, and that his situation was helpless.

“Looking back, I wish our family had been educated about the signs and symptoms of CTE.

“Rather than believing there was something inherently wrong with him, we now know that he did the best he could as a father and friend under circumstances beyond his control.”

In 2017, Wycheck told ESPN he was certain he had the condition and had been frightened by reports of other former NFL players committing suicide.

Wycheck retired from playing in the NFL after an 11-year career with the Titans in 2001

“I fear the time when I actually get to the point where these guys (who committed suicide) have succumbed,” he said. ‘What made her snap?

‘And that’s what I’m afraid of, that something will come over me and I’ll snap. And that’s the scary thing about it. There is no one who can really tell you anything. It’s just: the damage has already been done.”

Wycheck’s family hopes they can raise awareness about the issue after his condition is made public.

“Our hope is that NFL alumni who believe they may be suffering from CTE will receive much-needed resources and guidance before their symptoms reach a debilitating state,” they said.

“With continuing CTE research and diagnosis,” we hope that future NFL alumni and families will be provided with an explicit outline and action plan for receiving care and treatment.

“That’s what our father would have wanted.”