Five months after Washington State University quarterback Tyler Hilinski committed suicide in his Pullman apartment, the parents of Tyler revealed their son suffered from a serious case of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE).
In an interview with the Today Show, Tyler’s parents said they believed football likely played part in their son’s condition.
“The medical examiner said he had the brain of a 65-year-old, which is really hard to take,” said Tyler’s father Mark on the Today Show. “He was the sweetest, most outgoing, giving kid. That was difficult to hear.”
CTE, a degenerative brain disease often caused by head trauma, has been linked to the aggressive nature of football in multiple studies. A report by the American Medical Association revealed 99 percent of NFL players to have suffered from CTE, along with 91 percent of NCAA players examined. The autopsy report conducted by the Mayo Clinic revealed the advanced trauma in the 21-year-old quarterback’s brain.
Mark and his wife Kym Hilinski shared their experience following Tyler’s death in a recent Sports Illustrated documentary, in which the parents said they believe football might have played a role in their son’s suicide.
Tyler Hilinski
“Did football kill Tyler?” Kym said in the documentary. “I don’t think so. Did he get CTE from football? Probably. Was that the only thing that attributed to his death? I don’t know.”
Tyler was found dead in his apartment the afternoon of January 16. His parents said they knew something was amiss when WSU coaches called, telling them their son had missed practice.
Not long after, a missing person report was filed. By 4:30 p.m., Tyler was found, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, along with a suicide note.
Across the WSU campus, memorials were set up to honor Tyler, with a vigil held the next day in front of Martin Stadium. The Associate Students of WSU created the Cougar Health Fund to help raise awareness. According to WSU, the fund has gathered $50,000 in donations.
WSU responded to the news of Tyler’s condition in a statement, outlining a plan for increased monitoring and awareness of potential head injuries among athletes.
Four new methods of concussions prevention were added to the athletic department’s protocol including “a second formal mental health screening for all members of the football team,” along with “a full-time clinical psychologist to the Athletic Department health and wellness area,” according to the news release.
Tyler’s younger brother, Ryan, who recently committed to South Carolina University, also spoke of his experience in the Sports Illustrated documentary. Ryan said while the autopsy reports did frighten him at first, he believed his older brother would want him to continue playing the sport he loved.
“It kind of made me take a step back and say, ‘OK, well what if I get hit a couple more times, will I turn out to what Tyler was going through?’” Ryan said. “But what do I do if football is not the thing for me? But I’m all bought into football, of course, and I think Tyler would want me to do the same thing. I don’t think he’d want me to stop.”
Meanwhile, Tyler’s parents are doing all they can to support other student athletes. The two started the Hilinski Hope Foundation, with the goal of raising $2 million for programs aimed at helping young athletes.
“People need to keep talking about suicide and mental illness and mental health,” Kym said. “We’re trying to fund programs that support (student athletes) and their mental health. They need it.”
Brandon Hill can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @brandonmtnhill