First Take Discusses CTE & Aaron Hernandez Suicide | First Take | April 21, 2017 

he's been playing football since he was little young kids people get cte when there young and don't know it 90% of people don't know they have it

I remember hearing about a case where an 18 year old man had CTE from playing football. And to my recollection, it was a severe form of it. Who knows how the mind will react to repeated blows like that. This was an 18 year old kid. And yes, he is deceased. His brain was studied.

never heard so much judgement as I have in the past few years. anyone who has lost their life deserves compassion.

rip Aaron Hernandez and Odin Lloyd

aye leave his daughter out of it she four have respect for children who dont understand

since when did first take become a cast of doctors? tf do they know

Yessss I agree 110% Bring the Truth!

Great point from molly towards the end

theory: aaron had brain dramage which caused rage and hallucinations

I want Stephen a smith to get busted with weed so bad lol the one guy who hates weed needs weed the most

Hernandez was a bad guy but what's wrong with the family studying his brain to see if he has anything. It's not an excuse

hate how he brought up weed smoking lol

This is SO biased. The man didn't just have CTE. He had... and I quote... "One of the worst cases doctors have ever seen" he was only 27 years old!!! To sit here and pretend as if that was not at all a contributing factor to his circumstances is grossly irresponsible!!!

I'm here after watching the Netflix series on Hernandez's case. What a story. But at the end of the day, what the guy said in the end in the series was true, whatever factor the people want to blame, Hernandez's decisions were made. He MADE those decisions, no hesitation.

Last comment by Stephen A is 1st time I'm saying Bravo to him

Imagine your mind being your enemy. Your ego cannot overpower it.

THEY JUST DONATED THE BRAIN FOR SCIENCE!!! They aren't blaming CTE for his actions.

An 18 year old killed himself and they found CTE in his brain from playing football

It is 100% from getting hit in the head. Don't hit anyone on their head ever. That surely is a sin.

Steven's hairline is hilarious

He played football starting at 6 years old.

Discussing mental health is a slippery slope. Unless you have experience with it, rather that be personally or being educated about it, its better left undiscussed by sed people. We all have things about us that are not on the up and up(Hernandez was obviously a narcissist). But when brain injury or imipairment is added to the mix, it can get very complex and complicated when trying to access an individuals decision making. Its like being drunk. If your a jerk before driking, typically the alcohol just make you more of one. Sensitivity is key to understanding anything; But so is accountability.

If you're concerned about having CTE, Please seek help. It's not shameful to admit you're dealing with issues. I started my journey after Jr Seau's suicide. Please start with one step towards help. There's more knowledge and understanding out there now. I've had had the wrong therapist and changed to another that "Gets it." Please seek help and find someone that can support you in your own journey towards understanding... You can find peace without suicide!

Rip Aaron Hernandez

I Don't Feel Sorry For Aaron Hernandez

I didn't see anyone blaming his behavior on CTE. The study just said he had a debilitating case of CTE. The report said he had the brain of a 67 yr old man.

This guy cannot see through that aron hernandez had a problem

Max, ADVANCED.

Me either

C t e is not an excuse and you shouldn't be the one talking unless you're the one that was out there taken constant head shots

Why in the world would ESPN leave it to these sports broadcasters to discuss CTE? Bring in a doctor.

yet he had stage 3 CTE... "I don't wanna hear about CTE" lol okay then. unless you address the behavioural changes CTE can cause, I don't think we should be under looking anything. prime example of medical issues with not enough known about them, being overlooked. who knows this could be avoidable in the future.

Arrested at 23 after a lifetime of abuse & football... brain had the worst case of cte seen in anyone 27 yrs old! CTE CONTRIBUTED! One of MANY factors, but these guys want to protect football & refuse to accept football had any responsibility! He said it... do you want his family to be able to sue the nfl. Ugh Pathetic!

I blame the hood culture the street mentality he grew up with . And CTE

Atlas orthogonal can help. Try it bc medical docs have no answers. It reversed all my sons symptoms from a severe head/neck trauma. It is easy and safe.

Max kellerman is a professional troll

Is they blaming it or telling you what he had ??????

we should not to be judging. Is hard for a mother to accept her son committed a criminal act. she has questions , maybe she would never find the answers. I don't think she is in denial.

If CTE or other disorders could set in at a early age Hernandez could have had it from childhood.

Why did Molly start talking

Having CTE and being a murderer are not mutually exclusive. You can be both. Did CTE impact his ability to murder? I don't know, but I can't rule that out 100%.

They have no idea what CTE is

We don't know how much CTE affected him. Not enough research has been done. These guys are making too many assumptions and educated guesses. Why not wait for more evidence to be brought forth.

In my honest opinion, victims of CTE are too scared to get professional help. And by that, I mean victims of CTE know that there is something wrong with them, but they cannot tell what is wrong with them, so they end up not thinking straight and end up taking the coward's way out by killing innocent victims on purpose and committing suicide on purpose out of premeditation. And the stupid thing is, CTE examiners can only examine damaged human brains after the person/people who has/have suffered from CTE is/are dead. It has to be the other way around, as in seek professional help immediately and not take the coward's way out. Makes sense, right? There's no doubt in my mind that is what had happened with WWE wrestler Chris Benoit.

If Aaron was black Stephen A will defend him

CTE? Young Jeezy's label? LOL

You can't find that shit in college there's highchool junior ball

I was agreeing with this video until the third guy talked....CTE isn't an excuse for behavior as much as bipolarism is. But it is a cause. If there is CTE effects on Aarons brain, it won't lesson his guilt...example: I think Jovon Belcher of the KC Chiefs had CTE. did it make light of what he did? no....but it helped explain the rational. It Aaron had CTE, it won't excuse the actions, but it will help explain his thought prices and mental state. The family just wants to see if there was a problem mentally or not....example again: there is a difference between someone with chronic depression who commits suicide and someone with no mental illnesses who does the same thing.

Molly is a big AH fan, constantly taking his side or justifying his behaviour and actions, making excuses and theories on his behalf. The host should be impartial as a starting point, and we would expect her to have a basic level of morality and values. It's a pity that is not the case, she needs to check herself for sure.

He was also taking multiple different DRUGS N I AGREE WITH Stephen

These people need to watch Concussion you can see the ignorance! Children are the most vulnerable! Furthermore CTE isn’t diagnosed until after death!

This killings was not Hernandez taking his life There's a lot more to this

Max stop talking !!!!!

Who believes he was innocent and this was not a suicide... Why did they report that there was no note found. Now 3 notes have been found. Who believe this or not

if its not CTE then let them do the test then whats to debate???

Ok if they are gonna let Aaron Hernandez off the hook for those deaths because of CTE then the same has to happen with Chris Benoit who was actually much older than Hernandez. But in my opinion Hernandez turned into a street thug some time early in his life and he never let it go.

The Family Aarón Hernandez Wife Doughter no more

These guys are trying really hard to deny CTE can cause violent behavior. They don't know what they're talking about. Hernandez family are NOT looking for sympathy, just answers and it's not so far fetched to start with football and CTE. NFL owners are among the wealthiest people on earth and they are the ones profiting from injuries and suffering of the players. The owners are so greedy they actually find ways to make taxpayers to fund their little roman coliseums of carnage. When will the owners own up to their responsibility in this? Never. The money is more important to them.

He use to murder defenses, then he switched to people

The gun trafficing charges he was suppose to face he put his former teamate up to lying

Aaron Hernandez behavior problem was strictly emotional due to his father's passing. I see all the time before a love one passes some people pray and pray hope that god answers and when their love one still passes they turn to a dark place. In his case it seems there was no one there to pull him out.

I have bipolar disorder I've had a few concussions I'm not killing people I'm not carrying guns if I go to a bar I don't need a babysitter. Fact is Aaron Hernandez was just a bad guy and people need to stop dancing around that

After further review the ruling on the field stands the receiver's feet were not in bounds

Was he that good or something they stay talking about this nigga like he was an MVP or a super champion

Max the man not here any more get God in your life all you do is talk rip arron

NFL has every reason to downplay the effects of CTE.

Rugby players get CTE just as badly as NFL. But in Europe and Australia we dont have access to guns. Hmm I wonder what the problem is here🤔

Last not make excuses. He is a murderer!

The guy are wrong

Agreed. CTE is real. CTE did not cause this. Dude was gonna spend his life in prison. I'm pretty sure that was motivation enough.

He was innocent and he was murdered

Football is not safe.

i'm sick of life

I swear all these people that benefit directly from the NFL $ are really FOUL

What the hell is CTE?

Aaron Hernandez didn't do anything he is innocent and always has been

Stephen A. Smith Was An All Male HS In Queens NYC, And He Is A Gay, And He Covers It Well....Allegedly.

CTE is NOT A DAMN EXCUSE!

Real easy to talk about shit you don't know about

this show would be a lot better if molly would talk less and show more skin.

Sad but also just uninformed. All of you talking down on CTE like it’s just a small disease get on google on read up on some of this shit. Truly scary

Aaron Hernandez was innocent

1:13 "homicidal maniac" -- unless hernandez was actually innocent

this why I don't watch first take anymore. there not human disgusting human being talk to Jesus Aaron made a mistake everyone does only true believers in Jesus will feel sorry for Aaron RIP

He was a very good looking guy, but he was a weirdo.

Just a wanna be thug , period .