Shock mental health discovery for footy cult hero who died aged just 53 after fighting homelessness and alcoholism when he retired

The family of small but tough NRL great Kyle 'Killer' White are hoping his legacy will help save the lives of other football stars after the fearless star lost his battle with a fatal brain condition earlier this year.

Before rugby league instituted strict measures against kamikaze tackles and high shots, White earned a reputation as one of the game's greatest hitters with his fearless approach to contact.

White continued his fearless playing style for many years, spanning a decade-long top-flight career that included spells at Western Suburbs, Illawarra and later Widnes and Workington Town in England.

Sadly, nine months after his death at just 53 years old, it was revealed that White suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease linked to repetitive head trauma. Sydney Morning Herald reported.

He was known for this monstrous tackle on Raiders hardman Dean Lance that earned White his reputation and earned him the nickname 'Killer'.

White's CTE diagnosis, made by the Australian Sports Brain Bank (ASBB) following an autopsy, puts him in line with other former rugby league stars such as Steve Folkes, Peter Moscatt and Paul Green, all of whom have been diagnosed.

Despite the coroner attributing White's death to a heart attack, his fiancée Melanie Sullivan agreed to donate his brain for research following an ASBB investigation.

“He had severe CTE. It was phase three of four. It was no different to what we found with Steve Folkes,” said Professor Michael Buckland of the ASBB.

“He also had a mild form of Alzheimer's disease, and there's good evidence that if you have CTE, it accelerates all these other degenerative conditions.”

Off the field, White pursued his passion for music, releasing songs and even venturing to the country music mecca of Nashville, Tennessee to hone his songwriting skills.

Former NRL champion and coach Paul Green was one of the most recent and high-profile stars to die from problems related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy

Bulldogs great Steve Folkes also battled the fatal brain condition

However, his mental health unknowingly deteriorated while living with CTE, leading to alcoholism, brief homelessness, and imprisonment for domestic violence.

“Music made him happy,” Sullivan said.

'His children made him happy. I made him happy. The dogs made him happy.”

But as his mental health deteriorated, White became less talkative about his playing days, even though he was proud to share those memories with his son Levi.

In his final months, White performed acts of kindness and, together with Sullivan, helped the homeless in the Penrith area.

Despite his struggles, those close to him remember him as a good person who tried to make a positive impact on others.

His family is determined to continue his legacy by raising awareness about the signs of living with someone who may be suffering from CTE.

Kyle White went through some dark days due to his head trauma

White's family hopes that by donating his brain to science, they can help reduce the suffering of other players, past and present

“He's really had a fantastic last few years,” Tyndall said. 'There was no indication that he led an unhappy life. He seemed quite pleased and righted himself again.

“But we want people to understand the implications. How can you tell if your father, uncle or brother is dealing with CTE? How do we get them to scale back? We are afraid that in twenty to thirty years it will only get worse.

“Dad isn't the first case of CTE. This is Michael's entire mission and his job. I hope they encourage people as much as possible to protect themselves because we only have one body.”

Shortly after making his debut for the Bulldogs in 1990, White shot to fame among footy fans by beating Canberra Raiders legend Dean Lance in a match at Belmore.

'That's one of the biggest hits I've ever seen on a football field. Look at the truck that just hit him,” the commentator exclaimed at the time while referring to White.

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