Former MLS player Scott Vermillion diagnosed with first American pro soccer case of CTE

Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE as it is commonly known, is a major talking point in professional sports. It is thought to be caused by repeated brain traumas which are common among athletes in certain contact sports but particularly football and leads to dementia and other memory related problems.

Scott Vermillion, a former Major League Soccer player, is now the first known case of CTE in professional soccer. Vermillion died in 2020, but doctors at Boston University discovered in 2021 that Vermillion suffered from Stage 2 CTE after examining his brain postmortem. Due to the nature of CTE, it is impossible to know if someone suffers from the condition until after their death. 

It has been discussed frequently in association with American football, but due to the issue of concussions in soccer, many advocates are calling for better protocols. One such advocate is Taylor Twellman, who saw the end of his career due to a concussion in 2010. He is one of 300 athletes who pledged to donate their brains to CTE research.

For more information:

See Tyler Geenawalt, “Former MLS player Scott Vermillion diagnosed with first American pro soccer case of CTE,” Yahoo! Sports, June 28, 2022.

Special thanks to David S. Luber (Florida Probate Attorney) for bringing this article to my attention.

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