After finishing nine seasons with the NFL some might expect Terry Tautolo to be living the high life.
Few might expect the 58-year-old to instead be living beneath a Los Angeles freeway, homeless, while feared to be suffering a lasting affect by the professional sport: Brain damage.
Today the former linebacker for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Detroit Lions and Miami Dolphins appears frail though as his former 49ers roommate George Visger says, still 'very proud.'
'You look at him and, the teeth missing, the eyes sunken in, but you ask him, and, "Oh, I don't have any issues," Mr Visger told CBS Sacramento.
Mr Visger, who played alongside Mr Tautolo until his own career was ended early due to a series of concussions, successfully sued the NFL for workers compensation after a gruelling battle.
He has had nine brain surgeries since, pointing to a hidden tube running through the side of his head to a pump in one instance, and says he could require more.
'None of us want to ask for help, but there's some things that he's earned,' Mr Visger said of his old friend whom he's since encouraged to be tested for similar injuries.
Mr Tautolo however has acknowledged that a similar blow to his own head, making him what he called 'a paper head,' is what ended his career.
He says he never reported the injury to the NFL, though it was enough to make him quit, fearing he could end up paralyzed if hit just one more time.
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[ Edited by VDSF on Nov 16, 2012 at 8:28 AM ]
