Terry Beasley Health: The football world was left in shock after one of its renowned players, Terry Beasley, was found dead in January 2024.
The college football Hall of Famer, Terry, played in the National Football League with the San Francisco 49ers.
As the shocking cause of his death was revealed, this left fans scrambling as to the reasons that led to his ultimate demise.
Terry Beasley was a former American football wide receiver who played in the NFL for three seasons.
Notably, Terry had his prime during his college career at Auburn, forming a deadly duo with legendary QB Pat Sullivan.
The 49ers picked him in the first round of the 1972 NFL draft.
However, Terry only played in the professional league for three years due to multiple injuries hindering his body.
Terry Beasley Health And Cause Of Death
The former wide receiver passed away at the age of 74 at his residence.
Subsequently, the police have revealed that his death is initially being investigated as a suicide.
Police reached his home around 5:20 p.m. CT and discovered him with what seemed to be a self-inflicted gunshot injury.
In an official statement, Moody Police Chief Reece Smith informed the press about the death.
“We got a call at 5:20 afternoon, and officers found Mr. Beasley with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
Additionally, Smith would suspect how Beasley’s football past may have led to the incident.
“He’s been a resident here since I’ve been here. I know he’s had some struggles over the years with stuff from the NFL.”
Furthermore, Smith appreciated how Beasley was a responsible citizen of Moody and how people would miss him now that he was gone.
Beasley Dealt With Concussion Effects
As a former college and NFL player, Beasley struggled with concussions and injuries.
Especially playing in the wide receiver position, getting hit and tackled by defenders was part of his game.
Furthermore, he played in an era where the security of the players was neglected, and safety gear technology was primitive.
Subsequently, this led to him suffering from multiple head injuries and concussions.
Notably, he filed a lawsuit against the NFL on the effects of brain injuries, which was settled in 2016.
In the legal notice, Beasley asserted experiencing memory loss, headaches, anxiety, and insomnia due to injuries linked to football.
In a 2013 interview, Beasley mentioned having experienced a minimum of 52 concussions throughout his life, with the majority occurring on the football field.
The damage led to the shutdown of the pituitary gland in his frontal lobe, hindering the production of cortisone by his adrenal glands. Consequently, Beasley was plagued by blood clots.
He constantly paid emergency visits to the hospital and suffered from seizures.
In 2016, Marlene Beasley, his wife, expressed that his headaches were so debilitating that he had been hospitalized multiple times.
Terry felt the full force of the ripple effects of a harsh footballing career.
Undoubtedly, his injuries and passing serve as a poignant reminder of the inherent risks that the sport of football poses to its players.
This incident underlines the importance of continued efforts to enhance the safety of football players.