Former 49ers and Raiders running back Charlie Garner gave a revealing and sad interview to the Sporting News on Monday, detailing what he believes to be the symptoms of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, a brain disease caused by traumatic hits to the head, affecting his ability to function.
Garner, 45, said he lives his life in fear that he has developed CTE and revealed that he believes he had at least 12 concussions in every one of his 11 years as a pro.
“I don’t have all my faculties anymore,” Garner told The Sporting News. “I can’t remember things. When I go to the mall or grocery store, I have to take one of my kids with me to remember where the car is parked. I have trouble remembering conversations I had five minutes ago. Bright lights bother me. I just don’t feel right all the time.
“(The doctor) explained that even minor collisions could cause the brain to rattle against the skull,” Garner said. “When I thought about that, I realized I probably had at least a dozen concussions a year and played through them. You do the math. At least a dozen concussions a year over 11 years. No matter how you look at it, that’s a lot.”
CTE can only be diagnosed post-mortem, so Garner doesn’t know for certain what’s affecting his mental state, but a growing number of former NFL players who have dealt with similar symptoms after retirement have been found to have the disease.
Garner played in the Bay Area for five seasons, joining the 49ers in 1999 before heading to Oakland in 2001. Garner gained over 1,000 yards from scrimmage in four of those seasons from 1999-2002.
Garner says he doesn’t regret his time in the NFL, but now wishes he chose a different position with less contact.
“Football gave me a good lifestyle for me and my family,” Garner said. “But I might end up paying a big price for it. Other people already have paid a big price for it. People ask me all the time if I would do it all over again if I knew more about concussions. I say yes, but I would do it as a defensive back because I wouldn’t have taken so many hits.”
