Former Detroit Lions running back Mel Farr had Stage 3 chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) at the time of his death, ESPN's Outside the Lines reports.
According to OTL, Farr's family donated his brain and spinal cord to the Boston University School of Medicine where researchers have been testing for CTE, which can only be confirmed after someone has died.
Farr died on Aug. 3, 2015, from a massive heart attack.
"Mr. Farr had Stage 3 CTE, which is consistent with other football players of similar age and exposure," Dr. Ann McKee, the director of Boston University's CTE Center told Outside the Lines. "At Stage 3, the disease is widespread, but most severe in the frontal lobes as well as the medial temporal lobes, specifically the hippocampus, which plays a critical role in forming new memories, and the amygdala, which governs emotion."
Farr's daughter, Monet Bartell, told OTL that he had been suffering for some time.
"He was losing his memory. Things he should remember, he couldn't remember," she told OTL.
Outside the Lines reports that Farr, along with his brother, cousin, and two sons, joined a pending class-action lawsuit against the NFL regarding concussions.
In his time with Detroit, Farr amassed 3072 rushing yards in 69 games.
He also made a name for himself in his second career as a car dealership owner.
