Shane Dronett: the late Denver Bronco is the subject of a Sanjay Gupta CNN report

The topic of concussions and NFL football players continues to make news, even in the off-season, as CNN tells the heartbreaking story today of former lineman Shane Dronett, who killed himself in 2009, three years after retiring. Dronett was drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos in 1992...

By Jonathan Shikes

April 1, 2011

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "12017618",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17242653",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261320",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18838239",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17261321",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

The topic of concussions and NFL football players continues to make news, even in the off-season, as CNN tells the heartbreaking story today of former lineman Shane Dronett, who killed himself in 2009, three years after retiring.

Dronett was drafted in the second round by the Denver Broncos in 1992 and played four seasons here, racking up 21 sacks, before joining former Broncos coach Dan Reeves in Atlanta. His career ended in 2006 after a series of knee injuries.

In the story CNN's medical reporter, Sanjay Gupta, reports on Dronett's "transformation from an affable prankster, quick to flash a wry smile, to a person who was often frightened -- and frightening..."

It also tells of how scientists in Boston "confirmed that before he died he was suffering with a brain disease -- chronic traumatic encephalopathy -- that seems to afflict football players."

Become A Member

BEFORE YOU GO...
Can you help us continue to share our stories? Since the beginning, Westword has been defined as the free, independent voice of Denver — and we'd like to keep it that way. Our members allow us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls.