Roughly 100 different players were members of the Patriots' first three Super Bowl-winning teams, which captured three Lombardi trophies in four seasons from 2002-2005. And now, according to a report from the Boston Globe, almost half of those players say they're experiencing symptoms related to brain trauma.
The Globe's Bob Hohler writes "some 42" of those 100 players are part of the milestone class-action concussion lawsuit against the NFL and helmet maker Riddell. The NFL settled the case with the nearly 5,000 ex-players in the suit for $1 billion in 2015, while Riddell is continuing with litigation.
In total, 342 ex-Patriots have sued the NFL and Riddell. Of those 342 players, 10 are team Hall of Famers –– including Nick Buoniconti, Raymond Clayborn, Steve Grogan, and John Hannah –– and eight have been posthumously diagnosed with CTE. Two of those players, Junior Seau and Aaron Hernandez, committed suicide.
There are 68 defensive backs listed in the suit, including Lawyer Milloy, Fred Marion, Otis Smith, Ellis Hobbs, Randall Gay and Clayborn.
Smith, who had an interception in the Patriots' first Super Bowl victory over the Rams in 2002, told the Globe he struggles with mood swings and additional symptoms. Gay, a practicing attorney in Louisiana, has been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment.
"There are days when I just wake up and don't want to be around anybody,'' he said. "I just want to be in a room by myself, not doing anything, not even watching TV, and I can't explain what's going on.''
Last year, ESPN's Outside the Lines reported on a slew of problems facing the thousands of players who won the suit. Two dozen wives of former players sent a plea to the judge about their gargantuan legal fees, saying they will dramatically cut into money meant to go to the families.
This headline has been updated to clarify the subject of the story is about the Patriots' first three Super Bowl-winning teams.
