Browns legend Bernie Kosar shares hardships related to concussions

Cleveland Browns legend and retired NFL quarterback Bernie Kosar has offered an inside look at his struggles linked with what is believed to be chronic traumatic encephalopathy — CTE. 

In a piece published on Monday, Terry Pluto of the Cleveland Plain Dealer explained that one doctor told Kosar a brain scan indicated the signal-caller must "have had 100" concussions while playing football at different levels. 

Kosar most famously featured for the Browns from 1985 through a portion of the 1993 season and later earned a Super Bowl ring while with the Dallas Cowboys.

"On PET scans, your brain looked like a blue punching bag," Pluto wrote about Kosar's difficulties related to brain injuries. "The right frontal lobe was deemed 'dead' by one doctor."

Pluto mentioned how Kosar experienced multiple seizures between 2014 and 2018 and even went into a coma that lasted 96 hours after one particularly bad episode. More recently, Kosar was hospitalized 15 months ago for what Pluto referred to as a "brain bleed." 

Per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN), Kosar filed for bankruptcy protection in June 2009. According to a Sports Illustrated piece, he said in the spring of 2014 he was removed from working television broadcasts for Browns preseason games at that time due to his slurred speech he blames on the many concussions he suffered throughout his playing days. 

Kosar's name generated headlines this past January when he was removed from the Browns' pregame radio show for violating NFL gambling policy because he placed a legal wager on a league game. 

Pluto pointed out that Kosar is now involved with The Concussion Legacy Foundation co-founded by Dr. Chris Nowinski and is taking part in The Race To End CTE 5K in downtown Cleveland this coming Saturday morning. 

Last month, Dr. Nowinski said he felt Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was "completely misled" regarding CTE after Tagovailoa suffered at least two reported concussions this past NFL season. 

"I don’t regret it," Kosar said about his football career. "I believe I was called to play for the Browns; it was what I was meant to do." 

Kosar added he views raising awareness and funds to fight CTE as his "last big game."